Just Friends
by nurseholliday
Summary: Hogwarts was always complicated. Throw in make-ups, break-ups, and the age old question can a boy and girl just be friends? Things get really interesting. Jily Sirius/OC
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Sirius's Summer Away**

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any other characters that you recognize! I know I know every one says that but sometimes I wish I did. I know everyone probably says that too. Anyway to start this off. I just wanted to say that I am posting my story from Harry Potter Fan Fiction on here for the first time! Hooray! I am also going to go through and edit and change some things from each chapter just because I wrote this story quite a few years ago and it probably needs it. 

**A/N: The whole story isn't just letters so please read them, they just give a little insight into the relationship between E.B. and Sirius. I swear there is actually a story after them! Also if you like my story please review it would be much appreciated!**

* * *

Dear Sirius,  
How's Ireland? Hopefully you are still with the same girl you went there for but for some reason I highly doubt it! Well if you're not, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE come home.

Like right now…because James is about to go through withdrawals if he doesn't see you soon. Seriously all he does is ask me how you are, and if I have heard from you lately. You would think the boy didn't know how to write a letter! Unfortunately when James isn't asking about you or talking about Lily he is talking about your stupid band and having conniptions because it is at a stand still. I think that he is buckling under the pressure too because he is actually forcing me to try and take your spot. When I say forcing I mean forcing; physically. However I think he has other things in mind because he is inviting Lily over to give me a 'makeover'. We already knew I wasn't the attractive one out of our little group but now I get told it to my face. They are going to attempt to get me to conform. AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHH! James is literally driving me crazy! Oh and I got your books already though you never use them. Aren't you so lucky to have a best friend like me? I think we should just go through and adopt you officially into my family. Well I'll let you know how everything goes.  
Send my love to whoever is lying next to you?

E.B.  
P.S How much do you love me?

* * *

Eboni my love,  
How dare you accuse me of not staying faithful to ummm…..well I can't really remember her name right now but that doesn't at all prove your point. I will inform you that James can write a letter because I received one earlier today begging me to come home. I swear to Merlin the way James acts you would think that he swings the wrong way. But of course I have no problem with you replacing me actually I would rather like to see you on a stage; I think it would be funny as hell. Not to offend, dear, but I can't see you wearing hardly anything working a crowd. As for this make-over situation James is definitely using you to get to Lily. James would use anyone to get to Lily. What are you talking about you not being attractive? I must say that you beauty is beyond compare. Are you going to be in the band? If so you better give me your last gig date that way I can make sure that I am there. When Lily comes over you have to tell me everything! Details, Details!  
You better write back woman!  
Sirius  
P.S. I won't say it.

* * *

Dear Sirius.  
Don't be stupid I am perfectly aware that I am not beautiful even after this 'makeover' if you can call it that. I still feel like the same Eboni Hammond. James, However says that he hardly recognizes me and has to keep himself from doing something he would regret. I think you may be right about him swinging the other way.

You should have been here for Lily-and-James Palooza as I have begun to call it. I mean at first they sort of got along but then James said something about one of her ideas and she BLEW UP! Like Hiroshima blew up and she ended up throwing a vase at James head and putting like four different hexes on him and breaking two of his BONES. He doesn't like to talk about it but Remus and I are trying to find a way to preserve that memory forever! Yeah I joined the band, much to my dismay and you better be at our last show or I will personally castrate you! It is at the Hogs Head a week before school starts the 27th and I swear to Merlin if you are not there, bad bad things will happen to you. James isn't being as annoying since I agreed to join the band which is a good thing. Oh and some girl name Jolene wrote you asking why you haven't been to her house like you promised. I wrote her back pretending to be you of course making an excuse that you had to go to a Quidditch camp that was instructed specifically by Patrick DeLafinco and that you were breaking rules at much risk just so you could explain. Don't worry she bought it. God you're lucky you have me for a best friend.  
Lots of love!  
E.B.

P.S I swear to Merlin if you don't say it then you won't be getting your BIRTHDAY PRESENTS!

* * *

Sirius smiled to himself as he entered the Hogs Head holding his letter from E.B. thinking that without a doubt that this was going to be the greatest show that he have ever seen. The band hadn't started yet and he could see the stout form of Peter running frantically back and forth on stage making sure all the equipment was in working order. Same old routine, except this time Sirius wasn't a part of it, and he couldn't say that he was all together depressed. He quickly surveyed the Hogs Head, it hadn't changed much since his stay in Ireland except for the fact that it was more crowded than the world cup. Sirius found this rather surprising considering it had always stood as a beacon of filth and repugnance in Hogsmeade. All in all a perfect location for James and himself to frequent yet Sirius spotted more than a few distinguished guests.

Sirius sat down in his usual spot at the bar and waited for the barmaid to take his order.

"Olga darling, you take my breath away, have you realized how much I missed you while I was in Ireland?" Olga wasn't the sort of woman that you called darling; she wasn't even the sort of woman that you called a woman. She was around six feet tall and had a peculiar knot in her throat that resembled an Adam's apple. However despite the initial blunder made by Sirius, Olga had taken a strong liking to the boy and his friends.

"Ceer-E us yuuu arrrr juss sa—ing dat, Yuu saa dat tuu all ze laa-dees." She flashed Sirius a toothless grin and set two shots of Fire Whiskey on the bar.

"Now Olga Love! Who else knows me like you" He smiled his heart melting smile and gave her a wink, which she laughed heartily too. After taking the first shot and swallowing the nauseating burning feeling he turned once more to face the stage.

"Aren't you Sirius Black?" Sirius turned to see a buxom blond leaning seductively on the bar next to him. Not bad for his first day back.

"Well that depends on whose asking?" He retorted quickly flicking his eyes over her figure.

"I'm Pandora, Pandora Mayes." He jerked his face back towards the stage trying desperately to hold back a snort of derision. It just so happened that everyone knew who Pandora was whether she liked it or not. She had slept with just about as many people as Sirius had, which was saying something.

"Mayes, yeah aren't you a Ravenclaw?" She nodded her head coyly and he struggled to act like he was still interested.

"So are you here for the show? I've seen them live a couple of times now and there pretty good. I heard that you were..like…the singer once?"

"What?...Oh yeah… I was uh… I had to go to Ireland, family emergency, and my best friend covered for me."

"You mean the girl" She rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms over her body. "I really don't see what the big deal with her is I mean she isn't even that good."

"Maybe not, but she is like my sister and even if she blows I'd still love her to death." He smirked at the look that crossed Pandora's face, which resembled an angry contestant at a lemon eating contest, and gave Sirius the impression that she had been rejected by more than just him on E.B's account.

The lights suddenly dimmed and the entire tavern screamed as the familiar faces of James, Remus, and Peter ran on stage. Where the hell is Eboni? Sirius thought peering around trying to catch a glimpse of the lanky brunette. The boys started the chords of one of the more popular songs and right when Sirius was going to run on stage and start singing, out walked a woman who definitely wasn't someone he wanted to consider his sister.

Sirius jaw dropped; there was no way in all of the Forbidden Forest that that woman is Eboni Hammond. Yet all doubts were confirmed when she opened her mouth and the sweet familiar voice of his friend reached his ears. But How? That person has curves and breasts and is….is... a goddess. _Jesus Christ Sirius you've known that girl since you were in diapers what are you thinking._ Yet no matter how he tried to tell himself he couldn't bear to take his eyes off of her. Pandora seemed to get the point because after ten minutes of trying to make conversation with him she made a loud humph and stormed off.

He unfolded Eboni's letter again, looking for some forewarning of this miraculous change.  
_  
"…even after this makeover I still feel like the same Eboni Hammond however James says that he hardly recognizes me and has to keep himself from doing something he would regret…"_

Well he could understand James completely, anyone who looked at E.B. would have to keep themselves in check or else they would end up doing something they would regret. She wore a pair of super low dark washed jeans and a black tank top that looked like it was sewn onto her body, and as the show progressed all Sirius could do was stare. Finally the last song started which was Sirius's favorite. The lyrics began and she rolled the hat down her arm and onto the microphone stand with effortless ease that he suspected that she had used magic.

That was the extent that he saw because he took another shot of Fire Whiskey, which went down the wrong way. The song ended somewhere between the coughing and sputtering, and when he finally recovered he was being crushed by the bodies of Remus and James.

"YOU SON OF A BITCH! Never leave me again you hear! The summer was horrible without you. What's with the hair?" He said eyeing Sirius skeptically. This summer he had let it grow out and he had to say he liked it.

"Yeah and Prongs here had a hell of a time trying to control me on full moon by himself. Plus we didn't have all the girls hanging around us which is always a downfall."

"Moony! You shock me the situation was completely under control." James stated defiantly. "But seriously the Hair?"

"What you don't like it?" Sirius said placing his hand on his head. "I think it makes me dashing."

"I guess, but I'm still better looking."

"Oh Sod off you know that I am so the prettier one."

"No possible way nine times out of ten I get the girl."

"Please in Ireland I showed like sixty girls your picture and they said they'd most definitely shag me first. Plus I get the girl 100% of the time."

"That's because I wasn't there in person, no one can resist my charm. Plus Lily really shouldn't count."

"Please James, I know you're upset but I am definitely better looking."

"Are NOT!"

"Are too!

"Are Not!

"Are too!"

"REMUS!" They both asked turning to their friend who was watching the argument with a highly amused look on his face. How many times Remus was turned to too solve a fight exactly like this he couldn't remember but he did as he always did, he held up his hands and took a step back.

"At least Sirius is back." Remus offered and James jumped on Sirius again.

"Yeah yeah I missed you guys too." He looked around expectantly, "Hey where is E.B., she said she would castrate me if I didn't show up and now she is nowhere to be found. And besides that what the hell happened to her?"

"Yeah she had to meet her boy real quick so she should be looking for us right now." James smiled evily, "I know right it was my idea naturally and now I have to pry guys off of her, which is rather difficult when Moony and I are also glued to her."

Sirius felt an unexpected twinge of jealously flare, "Boy. Why the hell has no one told me there was a boy? She should have told me first!"

"Because she knew you would blow a gasket" said a voice from behind him. He turned slowly to find E.B. standing before him. If he thought her a goddess before it was nothing compared to her up close, but she definitely was the same girl but she no longer wore her glasses and her hair had been cut to her mid back. In hung in loose curls around her face and over her amazingly curvaceous body. How he didn't see that she was capable of this divinity before he didn't know, but he was over-enjoying it now. God why does she still have to be wearing that shirt…

Sirius removed his jacket and draped it over Eboni's shoulders, she grinned broadly and said, "At least someone here has manners" she looked directly at James and Remus "you probably would have just sat there staring at me like you were starving men and I was a feast."

"Yeah pretty much" James said slapping his hand against Sirius's arm and smiling at him knowingly. Damn he saw me staring at her, but it was ridiculous to think that James wouldn't catch on because he was annoyingly observant. "But Eboni I am shocked three months gone and Sirius here doesn't even get a hug and a kiss."  
He glared menacingly at James who grinned maliciously when Eboni wrapped her arms around Sirius's neck and gave him a peck on the cheek. Sirius fought for a semblance of control when she leaned the remaining inches between them smothering the unexpected urge to bury his head in her neck. _Settle down Sirius settle down she is your best friend! BEST FRIEND_! However his body wasn't reacting to her like she was his best friend and James immediately caught on that if Eboni got close enough she would feel something that wasn't too brotherly.

* * *

Eboni knew that there was something going on that neither James nor Sirius was going to reveal. It happened occasionally where they'd get all quite an exchange glances that were somehow complete conversations. They were completely mad in her opinion so she did her signature routine and took stance with her hands on her hips and stared at them both as if they had been caught in a very shameful lie. When they finally met her gaze they shifted uncomfortably and cast their gaze towards the floor and it wasn't until Remus broke the silence did Eboni choose to speak again.

"Alright well I am going to Fredric's tonight, so I guess I will see you on the train." She removed Sirius's coat and held it out to him, but he refused to take it. "It's fine I only wore it for a little while it's not contaminated."

He laughed his boyish bark laugh and reluctantly took the coat, "Yeah…I'll walk you out, I'm coming to your house tonight James so I'll be back."

"Oh don't hurry on my account." He winked at Sirius and then turned to whisper something to Remus. Seriously though, these boys were barking.

"Are you alright you seem kind of different tonight." Eboni asked looking at him questionably.

He jerked his gaze from the space over her left shoulder and instead of answering ground out, "You said that you were going to this boy's house tonight do you have any idea of what he might have planned."

"If you're asking if we're going to do it? Then yes." E.B. watched his jaw tighten and he stared angrily towards the wall

"And you're okay with that." He said finally bringing his gaze back to her face. She could tell that he was concerned for her but there was something else going on that she couldn't comprehend.

"Yeah pretty much it's not like it will be my first time." At this his eyebrows shot up and his jaw slacked.

"Jesus Christ woman what else have you done while I have been gone."

She turned defensively, "What would you have me do? Die a virgin and by the way you don't have to worry that I was taken advantage of because I asked someone that I could trust to do it."

"Love, is there something you're not telling me? I know that I have been drunk a couple times…" She slapped him playfully on the arm.

"Not you, ass."

"Then who the hell else could it be." They stood facing each other for a long time, there was something hiding in the tone of his voice and the intensity of his gaze. Eboni eyes searched his trying to find a reason for the change before she broke eye contact and began walking again.

"The only thing I will tell you is that it was a Marauder, but I am giving you no names."

He stopped again and stared, "You slept with Peter." She slapped him again this time harder. "Jesus woman you're going to break my arm."

"Well that will be no more than you deserve, Peter honestly."

As they reached the door Eboni turned again and smiled, "Write me in the morning alright!" but when she turned to leave Sirius caught her arm and twisted her back in front of him. For a long moment he just stared at her and Eboni seemed to get lost in his beautiful grey eyes. A warm sensation started to creep up the base of her spine and she felt as if Sirius was way too close for comfort. He leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead, a jolt went through her body as his lips touched her skin. When contact ended Eboni realized that her eyes had fluttered closed and she opened them suddenly. She smiled again and walked through the door into the dark of the night.

That night when she lay in bed next to Fredric she couldn't help but think that something was different now between her and Sirius. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but something happened at the door of the Hogs Head. She hadn't expected that Sirius's vacation could make him any more beautiful then he already was, but she had been wrong before. His figure seemed to improve dramatically, because she didn't want to try and explain the feeling in the pit of her stomach when he took off his coat. His hair was longer too, it hung right above his eyes and gave them a stormy quality that she had never noticed before. She definitely wasn't thinking about Sirius in the same way she always had and something inside of her really didn't want to. Well whatever was going on it was going to be an interesting year.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Things go Bump in the Night**

**A/N: ME=doesn't own Harry Potter  
ME=owns Eboni and anybody else you haven't heard of  
ME=appreciate/loves reviews  
Reviews=makes me Happy!  
I'm sorry if you don't like math.**

* * *

****"So Sirius, my good friend now that we dealt with the difficult part of the night mind telling us how Ireland was?"

Sirius jerked out of his daydream to the awaiting eyes of his friend. "What?...Oh yeah well you should have been to some of the pubs there, we thought the Hogs Head was bad you can't even walk into one without getting a barstool thrown at you head." After the comment was made, he continued to stare into the fire unconsciously twirling the stem of a Lily between two of his fingers. Sirius had been such the entire evening and it was starting to really get on James's nerves. Number 1, he was no fun when he was actually being serious. Number 2, Sirius wouldn't tell him which meant it was something James absolutely had to find out.

"So I must say Padfoot my friend you've been acting a little distracted, Do Tell" James knocked roughly into Sirius's side making the flower fall to the highly polished floor of the Potter Mansion.

"If I do say so myself, it would seem a certain girl is on your mind?" Remus chimed in. Sirius finally jerked out of his dream at the mention of his thoughts, he retrieved the discarded flower and looked at both James and Remus, who were eyeing him knowingly.

"What the hell are you talking about? You mean E.B?" James shot a quick lopsided grin Remus's way and nodded emphatically at Sirius.

"It seems since you walked her to the door back in the Hogs Head we haven't had your full attention. Is there perhaps something you should be telling us?" Alarms started to go off inside Sirius's head. The boys were getting too close for comfort when it came to his thoughts, it was time to change the subject. He didn't want to explain his attraction to E.B. without himself fully comprehending it.

"Perhaps it is one of you who have something to tell me?" He said pointing the flower first to James and then to Remus who lounged leisurely on the sofa. "Maybe like…let's think…Which one of you slept with E.B.? And you!" He said forcing the flower in James's face, "I thought you were giving up the Lily thing."

James and Remus both looked away sheepishly, he could understand James since Sirius singled him out but Remus had no excuse to look so guilty.

"So it was you Remus." Sirius said as he pushed himself off the back of the bar and started walking toward him.

"WOOAAAH. NOOOO. She just said that if we told you anything she would kill us, well actually she said she would send Lily after us but..."

He turned on his heel and looked again at James who didn't quite meet his eye. He suspected that she would choose Remus, that would be the obvious choice she would make right? She always talked about how she respected Remus, he wasn't sure how he felt about James being E.B.'s first. He threw the flower at James hitting him in the top of the head, making him finally look up to meet Sirius's eyes. "James?"

"It wasn't me man!" He backed away his arms raised, "and by the way I will have you know I made significant progress with Evans while she was here." There was little chance of getting any answers out of them tonight, he'd wait till later when he had them singled off to get the full story.

Sirius laughed heartily, "Was that before or after she threw the vase at your head?"  
James scowled at Remus who innocently put his book up shielding him from view.

"You can't hide that easy, besides I can see you laughing." He said grabbing a pillow and throwing it at him.

"But yes in a manner of speaking I was thinking about Eboni." Sirius admitted. No point in keeping all of the truth to himself.

"God she is so hot now. If I wasn't completely obsessed with red heads she would have my full attention."

"I don't think that it is red heads in general, I think that you are just obsessed with Lily." Stated Remus as he turned the page of the thick novel he was reading.

"Not true! There was that one girl ummm…. Okay maybe it's just Evans."

"Are you guys going to at least tell me what happened?"

James stood proudly, "I will do the honors since Moony here insists upon reading the entire time…" With an extravagant flourish he stood prepping himself to tell his tale. "It was a night like many others except you weren't here and…well Evans actually agreed to come over…"

"Story!"

"Right. Well first off Evans suggested that if we were going to change E.B. that we would have to buy her a completely new wardrobe, which I ended up footing the bill for. We went to this huge building that was so filled with Muggles that I thought it was sort of convention. But apparently it happens all the time it was called a mall. I got really dizzy and we rode on these moving stairs, Circe Sirius you should have been there it was amazing."

"James did I not just tell you to stay on topic."

"Right sorry Padfoot. Well they did a lot of strange things like they went into this shop and got Man-E-Cures." Sirius lifted his eyebrow quizzically. "Don't ask. Then we went to the barber shop and Evans suggested that we cut her hair really short. Like Professor Sprout short." Sirius made a face of disgust and James continued, "THAT IS WHAT I SAID. She got so mad at me that she refused to talk to me. Well I got my way and we only cut it a little. Then they left to a place called a spa and when she walked out. She was HOT!"

"That's it? She went into a spa and came out…" he couldn't bring himself to understate the end result, "…looking like she does?"

"Well it was a gradual progression throughout the day but by the end I had created a masterpiece."

Sirius let his gaze drift off into the roaring fireplace. "Yeah, you sure did."

* * *

His eyelids slammed open suddenly, his whole upper body heaving off the mattress into sitting position. He turned and looked at the clock, it was 4 a.m, he groaned and put his face in his hands. There was absolutely no way that he was going to sleep anymore tonight nor was he going to forget the dream that he had.

Eboni lay on her back, roses covering the sheets and floor. She smiled seductively, lifting herself onto one arm her hair hanging over her right shoulder. Her body clad into an amazingly miniscule black dress.

"I've missed you Sirius."

Sirius groaned again with frustration and decided the only remedy would be to walk the… uncomfortable situation off. With swift, sure movements he made his way down to the kitchens hoping that some food would alleviate the weight of his problem.

"Master Black sir, what can Prissy get for you sir?" squeaked the form of the Potter's head house elf.

"Prissy yes, do you think you could whip up something that can cure a bad case of confusion?" He plunked down at the head of the massive oak table.

"Oh yes Master Black, sir, I bet a piece of cake would clear it right up" and without another word Prissy ran into the kitchen, the door swinging behind her. He smirked at the door; she obviously didn't get the joke.

"Are you going to tell me what is really bothering you or am I going to have to beat it out of you?" came the voice of James from behind him. Sirius smiled over his shoulder.

"I'd gladly have you beat me if it told me what was wrong." James moved to the table pushing a mug of Hot Chocolate in front of Sirius. Sirius took a swig and felt the liquid ease down warming as it went.

"I should you know, just for being annoying."

"Oh please Prongs there is no way you could beat me."

"If you're that insecure Padfoot just say it because it is common knowledge I am the stronger one."

"Get off it every one know that it's me." They eyed each other for a moment, "Alright we'll ask Remus in the morning but I still say I would rather have you beat me because I don't have any idea what's going on."

"Well Paddy my boy, I'm just going to take a stab in the dark here as your unofficial therapist that is. Let's see… there are some emotions that you have never felt before towards a certain…friend…"

"Prongs I love you but not like that" James laughed propping his feet up on the table and linking his hands behind his head.

"Like I was saying…You're not sure what you should do about these feelings because it could ruin the relationship you already have. Plus you are unsure if she even reciprocates."

"Where the hell did you learn what reciprocates means?"

James smiled wickedly and innocently replied, "Oh from a certain Red-Head's diary."

"How the hell did you get Evans's diary?!" Sirius whispered incredulously.

"She was stupid enough to carry it in her purse with her. I knicked it from her when she came over to give E.B. her makeover. While the girls were trying on clothes they let me hold the bags. I'll have you know that Evans isn't as innocent as she looks." Sirius shook his head and took another swig of Hot Chocolate. "But as I was saying…In Marauder terms. You want to throw E.B. in a broom closet give her the one two, but you don't know if she's up for it. Savvy?"

"Well I wouldn't put it like that. I mean she is like my best friend and now…"

"You're having naughty dreams about her." Sirius stared at James in horror.

"What?...I don't…I…I mean…no! He sputtered.

"Please Sirius, I am like a king of nocturnal emissions here. The entire house could hear you. EEEEEBBBBOOONNNNNIIII."

Sirius kicked the bottom of James chair causing him to shake and nearly topple over. "Watch it." James said firmly planting all four legs on the floor and eying Sirius suspiciously.

"What should I do?"

"Do what I did."

"I don't know Prongsie, stalking a girl for five years making her put every possible hex on me then throwing a vase at my head. And still not getting my girl?"

"No!" James said defensively "What I meant was just confront her about the change and ask her out."

"No offence Prongs but I am just going to leave things as they are and if something happens, which it probably won't, then it happens. You see it has been a month since I had a good shag and once I find a girl to take my mind off things they will go completely back to normal. Right?"

"Whatever you say Padfoot my friend. Whatever you say?"

* * *

(A NOTE TO THE READER THE SENTENCES IN BOLD ARE EBONI'S THOUGHTS, Thanks for reading!)

_The firelight flickered enchantingly casting shadows on the walls of the treehouse. Eboni stared into the fire the dancing flames sweeping her into a wave of memories. She heard the door behind her open and she dare not look. She didn't have to; whenever he walked into a room his presence seemed to consume her. _

_"Eboni?"_

She twisted around seeing the steely form of Sirius in the doorway impressively clad in a black and white tux.

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what Sirius?"

"Lily and James wedding! If we don't hurry we'll miss the rehearsal." Wedding? James and Lily were getting married. _She looked in the mirror to find her_self dressed in an emerald gown. The fabric was satin most likely, Lily's favorite, and the halter accentuated the column of her neck. Lilies adorned her hair, most likely James's idea, which was worn in loose waves pulled up on to one side. Sirius leaned over her hooking his finger beneath her chin and searching the depths of her eyes.__

"Are you okay, Kiddo?" Her breath caught and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. He released her quickly and began to move away.

"Sirius…Do you still want me? " **What kind of comment was that you bloody idiot?** He stopped his back facing her, and her breath caught as he turned to look at her. He leaned down once more bringing his mouth to her ear. His breath tickled her neck and every ion in her body hummed.

"I never stop wanting you." He tenderly angled her face upwards, lowering his eyelids a fraction. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she waited the eternity until their lips met.

"Eboni…**"**

BANG BANG BANG

"Sirius…"

BANG BANG BANG

"EBONI OPEN THE GODAMN DOOR!"

Eboni's eyes snapped open to find herself in her bed with the light pouring in through the drapes. She pulled herself up and rubbed her eyes. The door shook with the weight of the oppressor's assault, and Eboni reluctantly sauntered over and opened it.

"Lily what are you doing here?" The red head rushed into the room looking everywhere at once. "It's six in the morning!" She started crawling on her knees and looking under the bed throwing the plush cushions everywhere. Clearly not finding what she was looking for, she threw open the closet door and began opening boxes. "May I ask what you are doing?" Eboni asked sarcastically leaning her weight against the door frame.

Lily finally straightened throwing her hair over her shoulder. "Have you seen my dairy?"

"Uhhh...not lately."

"Oh god" she wailed putting her face in her hands and diving underneath the covers of her bed.

"Ummmm…." E.B pushed herself off the door and walked to the bed lifting the blankets and staring at lily. "What is going on?" Lilly grabbed the blankets back and buried herself. Lily said something but all Eboni could here was a faint muffled voice. "What was that?"

Lily finally threw back the covers, "I think that James Potter has my diary!" She Groaned and pulled the blankets back over her head.

"And the problem is?"

She sat up this time. "What's the problem? Hello! Stalker Potter has my diary you know how much bad stuff is in my diary? Things that Potter should never ever know."

She smiled, "No actually I don't know what's in your diary, care to enlighten me?"  
Lily threw up her hands "Why don't you ask Potter the next time you see him because he will surely know!"

"And so you woke me up, made me get out of bed and then took my place in bed just to tell me that James has your diary." Lily nodded feverishly. "I hate you." Eboni pushed Lily over and reclaimed her spot beneath the sea of covers.

"You could never hate me, and don't you see why I'm here?"

"No, and if you haven't noticed I don't care." she said putting the pillow over her head, which Lily immediately snatched away and hit her with. Eboni sighed, "What do I have to do?"

"Well I kind of need you to go to James's house and look for my diary."

She sat upright. "NO!"

"Please Eboni you have no idea what a catastrophe this could end up as. If he still has it when we get back to school who says that he isn't going to use it for a prank. Like plaster 'a prat like him has no reason to be that good looking' all over the Great Hall."

Eboni laughed, "Well first of all never write something like that down, and second of all I can't be at that house right now."

Lily frowned. "Why? I thought you guys were friends."

"Oh I don't have a problem with James, its Sirius."

"So he's back from Ireland. Did he not come to the last gig or something, you guys are like inseperable." Lily stated matter of factly.

"Yeah well let's just say that my dreams haven't seen it that way."

"No way!"

"Yes Way."

"You mean…"

"No!"

"Yes you have a crush of Sirius Black!"

"No! It's just that he was gone for so long that…I'm just a little confused is all. And when we talked at the Hogs Head it felt like there was something different"

"Like awkward different or good different?

"Definitely good." She looked at Lily who pushed her to continue. "Fine when he kissed me on the forehead I almost led him to a room and had my wicked way with him. Are you happy?

Lily's jaw dropped, "Good may be an understatement. Did he feel it too?"

"I don't know he was looking at me so weird and he had never looked at me like that before I thought he was just surprised at first I'm a lot different now and all. But when he found out that I'm not a virgin he seemed so absolutely…" Lily leaned in a smile quirked at the side of her mouth.

"Jealous?" She offered.

"Yes! It just seemed like he didn't want me to go to Fredric's that night and when I told him to owl me in the morning he didn't! I owled him and I got no reply. What should I do I don't want to lose him as a friend but every time I am near him my head spins."

"Well I think that you should go over there…and while you're there you can look for my diary." Lily stated triumphantly.

"Alright" Eboni said covering her ears to protect from the intensity of Lily's scream. "But you have to come with me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: A visit to the Potter Mansion**

A/N: Don't own it, never did. 

* * *

Ding Dong

Lily and Eboni stood facing the massive structure of the Potter Mansion.

Ding Dong

"His house is huge, there is no way that he deserves a house this big" It was typical of Lily to insult the things that James had. She always said that he didn't deserve his house, his ego, his talent, his skill, and last but certainly not least his amazing good looks. Of course her worst fear was that he may find out that she even consider him to have any of those qualities. And seeing that he had her diary her nightmare may have become a reality.

"Actually it's his parent's house and they do deserve it." Eboni retorted. The Potter's were the most famous Auror's of their time as well as the richest. It also just happened that they were the best people you could hope to meet which made the fact that they had a git for a son worse.

"Yeah unfortunately Potter was blessed with perfect parents too! Another one of his flaunted attributes." They stopped talking when they heard a voice from inside.

"James, honey. Can you or one of the boys open the door please?"

"Yeah sure mum."

They heard muffled footsteps progressively get louder; Lily silently prepared herself for the approaching confrontation. James swung open the door a smile plastered on his face and nothing covering his chest. Lily's jaw dropped her eyes focused solely on James's perfect body. Not only was it absolutely gorgeous an obvious effect of the grueling quidditch training but he had a smattering of hair that trailed down past his waistband that Lily had and urge to touch. James Potter was like a sculpture of a god and Lily finally understood why every girl treated him as one. His eyes fixed on Lily and his face drained of color.

"Lily!...E.B…" James sputtered desperately searching for words. Eboni laughed at James actually being speechless and he hung his head finally realizing that he wasn't fully clothed. He made a small yelping sound and shut the door in both the girl's faces.

"Well!" Lily said her face flushing increasingly red.

"So Lily shall we add amazing body to James's list of flaunted attributes?" She cocked her head to the side and crossed her arms over her chest. Lily's face burned brighter. "You know when James isn't wearing any clothes he doesn't seem like such a prat."

_Actually he seems like a very very attractive boy that I wouldn't min…_She gasped in mortification and slapped her hands over her face. Acknowledgment was the first step to giving in, and she would not under any circumstances give in.

"James who was at the door?" came the voice of Sirius and Lily smirked as Eboni tensed up and began to shuffle her feet.

James replied, "I…well…uh…" But before he could finish Sirius opened the door, he froze when he saw E.B. and didn't even register that Lily was present. Lily chuckled, Sirius resembled a deer caught in the headlights yet if she made that comment no one would probably understand. At the sound of another person Sirius turned and saw Lily who gave him a quick wave. He then gave them a very forced smile and shut the door.

"What did I tell you? If that isn't completely ignoring me I don't know what is." Eboni exclaimed pointing at the door.

"You guys what is going on?" came Remus's voice.

Thank god a marauder with a brain. "REMUS!" Both the girls yelled. Finally the familiar face of Remus Lupin emerged from the entrance hall smiling with open arms.

"Hey you guys, I didn't know you were coming." He hugged them both. Remus was the one marauder that Lily respected. He never seemed pent up on impressing girls or quidditch. He was well rounded and was always quick to change the conversation when it got to intense. Lily always thought that Remus would be a perfect boyfriend but since his best friend was Stalker Potter there probably wasn't a chance that they would ever date.

"What the hell is with them?" E.B. said.

"Who knows anymore? All I know was when I came in James was running up the stairs muttering something about a shirt and Sirius was at his heels looking as if his mother had just shown up."

"Well I hope I don't look like his mother." E.B. retorted crossing her arms over herself again and peering into the entrance hall. Moments later Mrs. Potter approached frowning.

"Girls, I'm so sorry James didn't tell me you were coming by. I'm sure he would have mentioned it." She smiled fondly at Lily and then quickly swept them both into a hug. Remus smiled and Lily was pretty sure if James had known she was coming, he wouldn't have stopped talking about it.

"Hi Mrs. Potter." The girls said in unison.

"Are you going to be staying for dinner?" The women said her eyes brightening as she looked from Eboni to Lily.

"NO!" Eboni said with a little too much emphasis because the woman frowned. Lily quickly recovered.

"Well it seems that we weren't asked to stay or even welcomed."

"What?" she said placing her hands on her hips and looking to Remus for confirmation. He nodded and Mrs. Potter turned back to them. "Well we'll just have to fix that."

They followed her into the entrance hall and stopped short as James's mother walked up to the base of the stairs. "JAMES HAROLD POTTER GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT." She stopped short turning and seeing E.B. "AND YOU TOO SIRIUS BLACK."

A moment later both James and Sirius appeared at the top of the stairs their eyes glued at their shoes.

"You two." She said making a V with two of her fingers and pointing it at them simultaneously. "Is shutting a door in a person's face anyway to treat a guest?" They both shook their heads remaining silent. "James I asked you to answer the door, not be bloody rude. And Sirius you live here too you should have known better. Now I expect you two to apologize to the girls…" They nodded "...and invite them to dinner."

"Yes mum." They mumbled. James closed the distance between his mother giving her a quick hug and kissing her head. His eyes flicked up and met with Lily's and she stood in shock. She had never seen James look at her like that before, or if he had she had never acknowledged it. She sat there searching the depths of his eyes trying to register just exactly what he was trying to tell her. Need, want, desire, love…hope, in fact above all else he looked like a lost puppy who just wanted to be loved and Lily felt something inside her crack. Heat flooded her face as she realized she had been staring so long, she broke eye contact to look at Eboni. It seemed Eboni and Sirius were having the same problem, they hadn't said a word to each other, just stared. Lily finally turned back to James's mother and smiled. She winked and looked happily from James to Lily, "Well I'll leave you kids alone now; I have to tell the house elves we are expecting company."

Lily leaned into Eboni and whispered, "I am officially in love with James's mom."

Eboni laughed and looked at Sirius again who continued to stare at her. Finally she shoved him, "What was that for dick? Last time I come and visit you." He laughed and pushed her back. _Well I guess there problem is solved, that didn't take long. _She smiled at the two friends playfully hitting each other and turned to talk to Remus. However when she turned she ran directly into the beautiful chest of James Potter that was naked not ten minutes before.

"Oww."

"I'm so sorry I was just going to apologize and you…" he trailed off and looked at the floor.

"It's okay James." His eyes lifted to hers and his eyebrows rose. _Shit I just called him by his first name I never call him James._ She gave him a weak smile and his complete and udder surprise rendered him speechless. _Does he really expect me to blow up on him? I ran into him. Well why shouldn't he you do every other time he even speaks._ A wave of guilt rushed through her and she broke eye contact to look at the others. They apparently heard her slip up as well because they all looked as surprised as James. E.B. methodically came to the rescue.

"Anybody for Exploding snap?"

"Me!" Lily said moving away from James and into the sitting room. She linked arms with E.B. who stared at her as if saying; we will talk about this later.

* * *

James stood in shock as the girls walked into the sitting room. What just happened? But as many times as he had just gone over the past five minutes in his head he couldn't figure any of it out. Sirius patted him on the back.

"Let's GO!" James didn't move as Sirius wildly motioned towards the sitting room.

"Don't get too excited just wait until she finds out that you have her diary!"  
James swallowed; he really didn't want to lose the mutual familiarity that he had just found with Lily. How would she react when he did give the diary back? He moved into the room, E.B and Lily were sitting in front of the fire laughing as Lily won the first round.

James joined Sirius at the bar who was still staring at E.B., "How is the friend's thing going?"

"Worse, I actually shut a door in her face now she knows something is wrong. She even said she did. I thought that it would go away and now it is worse."

"Yeah well at least she acknowledges that something is different, so you're not completely in the dark."

"I guess but I shut a door in her face…" He finally looked at James who was smiling.

"Right after I did." Sirius finally smiled and looked down. "I think this is the year." James said staring at Lily laughing on his floor.

"You know what man, this time I actually believe you." He clapped James on the back and went to join the girl's game.

* * *

Lily could feel the heat of James's gaze on the back of her neck. She dare not look at him for what she may find lingering in his eyes, yet something inside her wanted to stare into them forever. Whatever had cracked earlier sure was doing a number on her now because she could hardly focus on the game in front of her. All of these new emotions were driving her crazy, was it really possible to feel nauseous and incandescently happy at the same time? She had won eight times now and lost only twice to Sirius. E.B. was usually a good player and had been doing fairly well until Sirius sat down. Lily smirked; at least she wasn't the only one whose emotions were on edge.

The dinner bell rang and they made their way to the enormous formal dining room. The room was magnificent the ceiling bewitched to look like a painted cathedral that changed every five minutes. Mr. and Mrs. Potter took their seats at the heads of the table and the children funneled in between. James and Remus took the seats next to Lily, and across from them was Sirius and E.B. _Why did I even agree to come here?_

Mr. Potter apologized for being late; he had been held up with an emergency at the Auror's office. He then went on to describe the events of his day. Lily listened attentively as she ate and made small comparisons between Mr. Potter and his son. First of all both had those annoyingly attractive smiles that could melt your heart as soon as break it, coupled with the same boyish laugh. They also both had that same untamable hair and glasses. However physically similar he was to his father James had gotten his personality from his mother and his mother alone, in fact they acted almost exactly alike. This unnerved Lily the most seeing as she absolutely adored Mrs. Potter.

During the middle of the meal Mr. Potter got up, walked to the other side of the table and kissed his wife. Lily was shocked and when she looked around for someone else to comment it seemed no one even noticed. In the Potter household this must have been completely normal. After the shock wore off Lily smiled at the piece of udder adoration and devotion, and somehow something registered that James would be just as caring if she would just give him a chance. She shot a quick look at James who was laughing at a joke that Sirius had made and pushed the thought away.

"So Lily we hear that you are going to be Head Girl." Mr. Potter said through bites of his steak.

"Yeah I got my letter last week."

"Right about the time that James got his then." Lily dropped her fork in shock and shot an amazed look at James who kept his eyes glued on his food.

"You didn't tell me you made Head Boy James. Congratulations." His gaze lifted and she felt her breath catch again. She didn't think that she had ever seen him look happier.

"Thanks, I really appreciate it." He smiled at her before looking down at his hands.

"Don't worry sweetie we were just as surprised." Piped up Mrs. Potter making the entire table laugh merrily.

* * *

When the meal ended Lily breathed a sigh of relief, so far there had been no real disaster, actually and she would hate to admit it, she was having a very good time today. As they all sat back in the sitting room Lily watched as E.B. and Remus played a game of Wizards chess. She could still feel James watching her and she needed a break.

"E.B. I am going to go get a breath of fresh air on the balcony." Eboni nodded not taking her eyes off of her pieces and Lily made her way across the room and out the double doors. She took a sharp intake of breath as the cold air enveloped her. She rubbed her arms and leaned against the balcony, watching as two swans swam touching their heads together.

"Beautiful aren't they" Lily gasped and turned around to find James standing by the door. Her heart thundered in her chest as he sauntered forward. "They stay here all year long."

"God James you scared me. I didn't hear you come out." He smiled and walked over to her carrying a blanket. He held it out and she took it wrapping it tightly around herself.

"What can I say I'm sneaky like that." She laughed and nodded turning to reclaim her place on the banister.

"That you are, that you are."

* * *

James watched as Lily stared out at the lake set behind the mansion. Something about her just being there seemed so right and he smiled remembering that she had called him James again. This was it, if he ever had a moment to convince Lily it was now. He opened his mouth to speak but she had already spoken.

"Do you think there in love?" She didn't look at him just continued to stare at the swans gracefully floating on the surface of the lake.

"Yes." He said in a mere whisper, transfixed with the way the wind made her hair stir. She glanced at him for a moment and then took a deep breath.

"James there was a reason that I came here today." His heart dropped and he felt his stomach churn. A roaring started in his head and he knew that this was the end. His last chance ruined.

"I know." He replied.

"Can I have my diary back?" He nodded fishing the small leather bound book out of his pocket and handing it to her. He never met her gaze just stared out at the swans now frolicking merrily on the water. She didn't leave when she took the book, "Did you read it?"

"No." He said quietly daring not look at her.

"You could have."

"I know. But no matter what I would have found in there, it would never be enough. If I would have read it, there was no way I would have had your trust then and I would have risked everything that I would have learned, just to know. If you do have feelings for me I'd want to hear them from you, not your diary."

"I'll know if you're lying."

"I figured as much." He said bringing his gaze back to her, the blanket had dropped to the ground and the diary sat in her hand. Confusion flashed across her eyes as the internal struggle of whether to believe him or not raged. "Check, I don't mind."

She lowered her gaze slowly opening the book and tapping the pages. He watched as Lily Evan's appeared and she froze. She lifted her gaze and for a brief moment held his before he turned away.

"Thank you Potter." She said before tucking it into her own pocket and turning to the door.

"Lily?"

"Yes."

"Please don't stop calling me James."

* * *

Lily left James on the balcony and crossed the room at a run grabbing her jacket and her purse. "Eboni if you don't mind can we go?"

Remus, Sirius, and E.B. stared at her in confusion until E.B. replied, "Sure Lil", and stood up. "Well I guess we'll see you on the train say goodbye to everyone for us."  
Lily dragged Eboni to the car where there driver was waiting to take them to E.B.'s house. She didn't breath until they were on the road and didn't speak until they were inside of Eboni's room.

"I want an explanation now." Eboni said

"James Potter is a good Person!"

* * *

**A/N: oh James wee tiny baby! I just want to like hold him. He is so sad. You'll see he is very very very sad. Let me know what you think of the story. I'd love to hear your thoughts. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Lily and James's change of Heart**

A/N: Deal with it I own Harry Potter, I invented Quidditch and his greatness a one Albus Dumbledore…ME…*Room glares at her maliciously* *Bursts into Tears* OH Merlin my life is such a lie.

* * *

James re-entered the sitting room to find only Sirius and Remus staring at each other in confusion. "They Left?" James asked simply to which they both nodded. James sighed making his way to the couch, were the others were and sitting down.

"Did you give her the diary?" Sirius asked

"Yes" he replied somberly

"And she didn't freak out?" Remus asked disbelievingly.

"No." He replied he stared into the fire for a moment. "You guys I'm going to go to bed."

"Alright, man" They both turned and watched James with looks of pity. They all knew James wouldn't sleep at all that night.

James lay awake staring at his ceiling a tear sliding down his cheek. He wiped it away with a sigh and rolled on his side.

"Do you want to take a walk?" Came Sirius's voice from the left of James.

"Sure." The two quietly got out of bed and snuck out the door, trying without reason not to wake Remus.

"I swear we could hold the quidditch world cup in there and he wouldn't wake up!" Sirius exclaimed pointing to the room they had just came from. James nodded but remained silent as they passed his father's office.

"Library?" Sirius suggested, James shrugged and they walked in silence to the massive oak doors at the end of the hall. As they entered the towering room they proceeded straight to the loft, if it weren't for that small room the two friends probably wouldn't set foot in the Library at all. The loft was the topmost floor of the Library (4th) and was exclusively for the boy's use. During the summer of third year James and Sirius filled it with chairs and pillows and anything else needed to plan a good prank. James lit a fire in the fireplace while Sirius situated himself into a chair a few feet away. When warmth began to radiate throughout the space James leaned forward onto the brick of the fireplace and sighed.

"Out with it." James turned to the seated Sirius who had on leg propped up on his knee. He then took the seat next to his friend and began to talk.

"That was it." Sirius silently beckoned him to continue, 'My last chance and…I blew it." Another tear slid down his cheek and he hastily wiped it away. 'I'm going to see her every day and…I don't know what I'm going to do, knowing that we will never be together. I mean until now I always assumed that we would get married and have children and be happy. And now…it's over."

Sirius leaned forward putting his hand on James's armchair, "We'll get through it Prongs, that I promise you." James blinked and Sirius gave him a little smile.

"You're right." He looked down before meeting Sirius's eye. "I can't let something like this get me down. I've been rejected for five years I can take it besides I'm a Potter.'

"It's okay James you just had a big reality check it's perfectly acceptable to be upset."

"Thanks, how did it go with Eboni?" He asked as he shifted his weight in his chair.

"Better than I expected for slamming a door in her face." James smiled. "But every time we get close everything goes supercharged. I can feel it every time she looks at me and every time she moves it's like a wave hits me. It's really weird because we're trying so hard to act like nothing's wrong. I think that I'll talk to her about it on the train. Maybe you were right addressing it will at least let us know where we stand."

James smiled again, "Or where you lay!"

* * *

"Are you telling me that all of this is because you finally realized James isn't as big of a git as you thought?" Lily nodded her head slowly, moving her hand to rest over the line of her lips. "Good god if I knew you were going to act like this I would have told you five years ago. Eboni plopped down beside Lily and kicked off her shoes.

"He's just so different now I've never seen him so open and sensitive. It's like he has finally grown up and he was so bloody…perfect." Lily lay back on the bed and looked as E.B. "When we were on the balcony…it just…"she sighed

"Did he have your diary?" Eboni asked wanting to hear all about Lily's revelation.

"Yes…but he didn't' read it. He said he didn't want to violate my trust but the way he said it. And the way he looked at me, I've never been looked at like that before. Like I was absolutely everything that mattered to him. I just never thought James was capable of it."

"Are you kidding? If you would have taken one good look at him in the past five years you would have seen the way he looked at you. He is absolutely positively head over heels in love with you and always has been. Something today made you finally look and I have a funny feeling it was seeing him naked."

"He wasn't naked…and I already feel like such a fool for not seeing things before, but if I do…" she gulped, "…consider James as a boyfriend, others will think that I am a fool too!"

"No one is going to think that you are a fool. I know that quite a few people will be glad that you finally hooked up. But all the other girls will hate you for finally officially taking him of the market. Which isn't anything new because they already hated you for not taking him off the market. And now that you're both heads you'll be seeing a lot more of him, clothed and unclothed."

Lily smiled at the memory burned into her mind of James Potter's gorgeous body. "Your right, on the train I'll tell him." Laughter bubbled out of her. "This may not end up too bad after all!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: Just Friends**

**A/N: I don't own much. Just this computer and my ideas If I owned Harry Potter I'd have a toilet seat made of solid gold but that just isn't in the bag now is it Baby?-Austin Powers**

**Please Review I like feedback. **

* * *

Eboni and Lily made their way through the masses of people on Platform 9 ¾ and Lily tried to restrain from bursting into a thousand pieces. It had been only a week since the remarkable visit to the Potter's, and ever since then Lily hadn't been able to stop thinking of this moment. She stood on her tip toes peering around trying to find the familiar head of hair that belonged to James. Eboni pulled her down, "Don't act like you're too excited now."

Lily sighed pulling down the front of her shirt. "Do I look okay?"

Eboni laughed, "Do you realize you are worrying about looking okay for James? It doesn't matter what you wear he will think that you are amazing. And yes for the last time you do look amazing."

A smile reached the corner of her mouth and a blush started to creep down from her hair line. She surveyed her clothing again; well one thing is for sure she hadn't under dressed. She was wearing her favorite pair of jeans (you know the pair that you wear over and over again because you feel amazing in them). She also wore a low cut green tank top that she had borrowed from E.B. who insisted that she not wear a cardigan but she felt silly being so naked. She also wore her favorite necklace, a gift she received Christmas of fourth year. It was a beautiful ivory lily incrusted with diamonds all set on White gold. It was a gift from James, even though it came with no note or card she knew that only he would send her something so extravagant. But despite the sender it became Lily's most prized possession and she couldn't help but feel beautiful wearing it. However until then she refused to acknowledge that the necklace was associated with him, now it just felt right that she was wearing his gift. Especially since she had finally realized how to appreciate the things she took for granted, James.

"I don't see him." Lily said apparently annoyed.

"Alright sleeping beauty, well find him on the train."

* * *

James saw Lily out of the corner of his eye. She was one of those people who seemed to stand out in any crowd, somehow his gaze always seemed to find her, but today she seemed to radiate happiness and he found that he wasn't the only one staring. He tore his eyes away, _It will only hurt more, _but he ended up looking at her again. A glint of light shimmered from her neck and he frowned as he caught sight of the necklace he had given her. He had never seen her wear it before and like usual he hadn't even been given a thank you. Yet something about her wearing it confused him.

"Hey boys I will be back in a second."

"Alright Prongs." Sirius replied moving his gaze between James and Lily, "Are you sure you want to do this."

James nodded, "Thanks Padfoot but I got it under control." He moved toward the two laughing girls carrying their trunks to the train. _This was it, there's no backing out now. _

"Lily?"

* * *

"Lily," Came James's voice from behind her, and an unexpected shiver went down her spine. She turned to find him making his way through the crowd.

"James, Hi." She said giving him a huge smile and setting down her trunk.

"Do you want to meet early in the Head's compartment; I started to make a list of idea's for this year that I wanted to go over them with you." Lily nodded. _He is actually going to take this seriously._

"Yeah I would, I'd love to hear what you have in mind, I have some things to go over with you too." Eboni snorted at this and James looked at her puzzled. Lily caught him staring at the necklace and quickly swept her hair over one shoulder.

"Lily…I was wondering this year can we just be friends?" He held out his hand as a compromise and Lily smiled taking it. She was expecting a lot more than friendship but of course James had always wanted more than that with her.

"Of course, I would like that." He smiled and waved a goodbye.

"Wait are you going to sit in our compartment?" He said pointing to Eboni.

"I figured you guys were just going to park in the Heads compartment so yeah." He smiled wickedly and E.B. eyed him suspiciously.

"See you guys on the train." Lily watched him walk away admiring the spectacular view of his retreating backside before picking up her trunk and continuing through the crowd. When they finally managed to make it onto the train they began the slow walk to the front where the head and prefects compartment were.

"Why do you think he was smiling like that?" E.B. asked

"I don't know maybe Sirius is going to propose." E.B pinched her hard making Lily grab her arm in pain.

"Oww that hurt."

"Well it probably hurt just as bad as you throwing yourself at James." Lily turned around smiling.

"I wouldn't say that I threw myself." They finally had made it through the last door to an almost completely deserted corridor. "Did he have to say the perfect thing…I mean really how perfect was 'this year can we just be friends'" She smiled at Eboni but stopped as she saw E.B.'s face drain and look down at the ground.

"Maybe he actually wanted to be just friends."

"What are you talking about? It's James-will-you-go-out-with-me-please-oh-please-Eva ns-Potter. Of course he wants to be more than just friends" She said finally turning to see what Eboni was staring at. Her face dropped, James was at the other end of the hallway, kissing Felicity Kennewick. Not just kissing Felicity Kennewick, Snogging her senseless. Lily stopped dead in her tracks dropping her bag's, she felt her eyes well up. James had just pushed Felicity playfully against the wall, wrapping his arms around her waist. _He looks so happy, _she thought before she was being forced inside the Head's compartment by Eboni. Sirius and Remus were already there laughing, but when Lily entered practically in tears they stopped and stared.

Eboni put away there things in silence while Lily stared in disbelief. Finally she sat down next to Lily hugging her to her side. "I've been robbed." She whispered a tear sliding down her cheek.

"Now Lily sweetie you haven't been robbed…"

"Yes I have, how is this fair, I just realize…" She stopped looking at the two boys who were staring at her in confusion, best not to reveal what she was feeling she didn't want James knowing that he had hurt her. "And now this. He was perfect and I ruined everything."

"Well it's not like you didn't have a fair chance."

Her voice rose. "I don't care what I had, I want my bloody chance and I want it now." She gave a short yell and shook her fist towards the ceiling cursing the heavens for her fate. "You're not Funny."

Come on Lily calm down."

Lily wiped her cheeks and eyes. "You're right I lost my chance. No use crying." She was lying, to herself and when she was alone later tonight she would cry to her hearts content. It was just James Potter after all, he was a bigheaded egotistical, womanizing Prat nothing more, but her heart still ached. She finally managed to smile before the compartment door slid open and James and Felicity walked in. Her eyes skittered across the compartment trying desperately to hold back tears until she locked gazes with Remus who looked at her disbelievingly. _Shit,_ _so much for them not knowing. _James gave hearty welcomes, but stopped short when he saw something was wrong. Lily stood then tearing her gaze away from Remus's and locking eyes with James. She stared for a few moments before she walked out of the compartment, her heart breaking as she went.

* * *

James stood staring after Lily, _why had she been crying?_ He looked at E.B. who watched the floor. "What's wrong?" She finally looked up at him before standing up. Her only explanation was a raised eyebrow before she too exited the compartment calling after Lily.

"James, honey I am going to go visit my friends real quick." Felicity said from behind him. He turned giving her a quick kiss.

"Alright. I'll come and find you later okay?" She smiled and left, leaving the boys staring at James.

"Do you know what's wrong with her?" James asked.

"This doesn't sound like you're giving her up, James." Remus said opening up a book.

"Maybe not but she ran out of the compartment crying what am supposed to do shrug it off. She is my friend you know."

"Forget about her move on, but I guess you just don't have it in you."

"Oh please Sirius I would like to see you try I bet you ten galleon that you'll snog E.B. by the end of the year."

"Please James just because you can't give up Evans."

"Whoa I can totally give up Evans, What I'm saying is you can't give up E.B."

"Prongs there is nothing to give up, she's gone you're the one who is in love."

"I'm not in love with her and I already gave her up."

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"Did not!"

"Did too!"

"REMUS!" They said turning to him.

"Personally I agree with Sirius." Remus replied. Sirius gave a shout of victory as James stared in disbelief.

"You bloody Wanker, when the hell did you start taking sides?" He hit Remus who smiled and continued. "I am not in love with her but I can be concerned for her. Did she say anything?" Remus rolled his eyes and Sirius answered.

"Yeah she was crying when she came in and she kept saying that she was robbed. And that she didn't have a fair chance." This didn't help James any.

"Is that it? Did she say who robbed her? We'll when I find out I'll kill the bloody bastard."

Sirius went to speak again but Remus kicked him shaking his head, "Let him figure it out by himself."

* * *

Eboni made her way back to the compartment Lily in tow. She finally managed to calm down Lily to at least lead her back to let everyone know she was okay.

"Do you want to sit with them?"

"It's my compartment." She said bitterly slamming open the door and walking inside. James stood up immediately.

"Are you alright?" She ignored him walking around him and sitting herself next to Remus.

"That would be I'm fine, in very angry Lily." E.B. replied.

"Well what's wrong?" He asked her.

"That's for me, Lily, and Remus to know and you to never find out." She clapped

James on the back and sat down next to Sirius. Who looked at her with the same question.

"I'm not telling you either forget it."

He then stuck out his bottom lip with his best impression of a lost puppy. He knew how she always gave in when he gave her that adorable look. She laughed, shielding her face from the heart melting view. He started to make pained whimpering sounds but E.B. acted like she hadn't heard a thing. When he couldn't get her attention he started tickling her. Her body buzzed as his hands reached inside her shirt to grab her sides and she finally hit him to break the contact. Her breath was coming in gasps and fortunately for her no one knew that it was from him touching her not from the tickling. However Sirius looked hurt and began muttering under his breath something about her being heartless.

"Tough Luck Padfoot I guess you've lost your touch."

"Have not it's only E.B. the touch does not apply to her."

"I think that you have to finally accept it now."

"Shut up Prongs I don't know how many times we have to have this bloody argument."

Eboni inserted, "Mind filling us in?" She stared at the two boys that were having the heated debate.

"You really don't want to know." Remus replied over the top of his book

"This prat here thinks he is more adorable then me." Sirius said incredulously. Remus rolled his eyes again.

"Your right I really didn't want to know." Eboni stared at Sirius, "What grown men argue about that?"

"Please that is one of their lesser arguments they could go on forever, Who is better looking? Who can beat who? Who can give up who?" Lily looked at James as Remus spoke, _so he gave me up well isn't that just fantastic._

"Now admit it I am just more adorable." James said placing his interlocked hands behind his head and flashing them a smile.

"To your mother maybe but it is common knowledge that Remus is the smart one, I am the adorable one, you are the talented one, and Peter…" He looked around. "Hey where is Peter?"

"Don't change the subject and admit it."

"You are not!"

"Yes I am"

"You are not!"

"Yes I am!"

"You are not!"

"REMUS?"

Eboni laughed silently clutching her sides. Through her fits of laughter she was finally managed to ask. "You….ask….Remus….how would….he know?" She was taking deep breaths now trying desperately to calm herself. She looked at Remus, "Why would you even want him to answer wouldn't you think it was sort of weird if he just started telling you that you were both adorable?"

"Maybe a little. Besides who do you think is more adorable?" Lily looked at Eboni who grinned and they turned back to James.

"Sirius." At this Sirius stood up with his hands in the air and James mouth dropped.

"WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THIS! SIDE WITH ANYONE OTHER THAN JAMES POTTER DAY BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET MY MEMO!"

"Wait isn't that every day?" Lily asked making the entire compartment roar with laughter. After that things went preferably back to normal Lily and James started talking again and despite the initial confusion everyone was having a good time.

"I'm starving." Sirius moaned clutching his stomach. Eboni stared at him in amazement.

"You're joking you ate like thirty minutes ago.

"Thirty minutes is a long time plus I am a growing boy." He said grinning broadly;

"You mean a growing landfill, besides the trolley should be around shortly." Sirius made a sour face and leaned back into the seat.

"Let's play truth or dare then." Came the lounging form of Sirius.

"Good god Sirius could you be anymore immature?" Eboni asked from next to him. Why they had to continue to sit so close she didn't know.

"Of course. But if you're afraid…" Sirius said looking at his fingernails.

"No!" She replied. "I'm in." She sat up rubbing her hands together maliciously.

"Ummm….Remus truth or dare." Sirius started. Remus looked up from his book.

"Truth."

"Come on Moony you can do better than that." James said. Remus shrugged.

"Alright…are you going to finally make a move on…" Sirius stalled as the little color left in his face from full moon disappeared. "…that girl."

"Wait a second who is that girl." Lily said staring at Remus who conveniently avoided Lily's eyes. "You have to tell me."

Remus glared menacingly at Sirius, "None of any of your business." He said burying his nose in his book. Lily stared openmouthed at the hidden form of Remus and then smiled at E.B.

"Remus it's your turn."

"I quit."

"Fine I'll go." James said eyeing Sirius. "Eboni truth or dare?"

"Dare."

"Hmmmm…..you have to…sit on Sirius's lap the entire train ride." Eboni blanched and stared at Lily who was desperately trying to hold back a laugh. _Oh god Oh god Oh god_. She looked at Sirius who if looks could kill would have murdered James by now. She slowly moved towards him.

"I don't know if that is such a good idea." Sirius said right before she seated herself sideways across Sirius leaning her weight on the compartment wall. They eyed each other awkwardly until Eboni realized that it was her turn. Lily and James were smiling viciously and when they made eye contact both looked at each other as if asking, _Wait what do you know?_

Finally Eboni started, "Lily truth or dare." However they were shortly interrupted by the food trolley were James bought twenty pumpkin pasties and Sirius bought about twenty of everything. Lily and Eboni shared a package of Chocolate frogs. And it wasn't until fifteen minutes later that Eboni remembered their game. "So what will it be?"

Lily hesitated, "Dare."

Eboni stared at James, _think think think get him jealous but how? _She smiled, the perfect plan formulating in her mind. She looked back at Lily a wicked smile on her face, "I dare you to snog Remus."

Lily choked on a piece of Chocolate frog, while James spit out the pumpkin pasty that he had just taken a large bite out of. Remus had dropped his book to stare at Eboni in horror.

"I officially don't like you anymore." He said. Lily looked at James who was staring at Remus as though he was about to kill him. His jaw was clenched and his hands were clasped so tight that they had turned white. Lily smiled at Eboni who gave her a silent nod as to say _you're welcome. _

"So what are the qualifications of a good snog." Lily said straitening up. Both Remus and James looked at her in horror and Sirius began laughing highly amused by this turn of events.

"What do you think Sirius a good forty seconds?"

"Sounds about right." He confirmed amusement ringing in his voice. "And don't forget about the tongue."

"Oh yes, there must be tongue. Just think James and Felicity without the whole wall thing." Eboni continued throwing a look over at James whose face had turned white and was staring intently at Lily.

"Fine. I think that I could do that. Even though I'm definitely not Felicity and Remus you're not exactly James." Lily said leaning in to Remus. "WOOOOOAAAAAAAHHHHHHH." He said putting his hands up. "Do I get a say in this."

Sirius and Eboni both shook their heads and replied. "Nope." Remus closed his eyes silently consenting and Lily leaned in to the most awkward forty seconds of her life. James's didn't look at them just stared at the door his fingernails finally cutting into the white skin of his hands. When they had broken apart both Remus and Lily laughed joined shortly by Sirius and E.B. Everybody except for James who looked like he was on the verge of tears and rage blackouts all at once. He finally spoke.

"I'm going to find Felicity." He said taking one last look at the occupants before darting down the hall.

"That was mean wasn't it?" Eboni asked Sirius, who shook his head.

"He deserves it look what he did!" he said pointing down to where Eboni was sitting on him. She looked down and once again became aware of how close they were. The hair on the back of her neck seemed to stand on end and her breath started to come out short. Sirius looked at her with heat filled eyes and she leaned in, but only to be intercepted by Lily crushing Eboni towards the wall in a huge hug and whispered 'thank you' very quietly. Eboni smiled and looking first to Sirius who was staring at the door and then at Remus who had once again picked up his book.

"Do you think that you'll live Remus?" Sirius asked with mock concern.

"Well he did deserve it, not only for that…" he said motioning to Sirius and Eboni, "But being a blind git that doesn't realize anything." He smiled at Lily who grinned back.

* * *

James returned an hour later in much better spirits. "Let's go all, Prefects meeting" He smiled at the sleeping forms of Eboni and Sirius. During the ride she had dozed off in an awkward position. When Sirius took pity and started to move her, Lily started laughing. "You don't expect to me to leave her like that do you?" But Lily doubted that Sirius was just doing the friendly thing. She watched as he tenderly set her head against his shoulder and leaned her body against him. She buried her face in his neck and slept, not long after Sirius fell asleep his head resting on hers.

"Don't they look cute together?" Lily whispered leaving the two sleeping figures in the compartment.

"Yeah we so have to get them together." James replied holding open the door of the prefects compartment.

"You read my mind, James you read my mind." Lily said passing by James into the meeting room. They waited as the Prefects arrived house by house the last of course being Slytherin's who seated themselves in the back.

"As you now we are the Head boy and girl." James started eyeing the prefects skeptically.

"Hey where's E.B.?" Said a sixth year Ravenclaw boy anxiously.

"She fell asleep and we…" Lily looked at James and smiled, "Couldn't bear to wake her up." James smiled back and returned to his speech.

"Now this year things aren't going to be run much differently, we haven't had time to discuss it yet but there will be ten scheduled Hogsmeade visits and all the regular dances. However I thought it may be fun to throw in a couple more dances maybe just fifth year and above. What do you think Lily?"

"That sounds great, James." Lily said smiling and making some of the people scratch their heads. Where Lily Evans and James Potter actually getting along? There was a couple of snickers from the back but they were ignored and James continued.

"Any other suggestions?" James asked.

"Can we get a different Head boy?" Came the voice of Lucius Malfoy from the back of the compartment.

"Sure, right when we get some new prefects." James retorted angrily. "And five points from Slytherin."

"Why?

"Because I don't like that bloody mop of yours, now Shut it. If there aren't any more questions, excluding remarks from Slytherins, then the meeting is over." The occupants funneled out, the Slytherin's grumbling and Remus walking back with Joshua Jordan, leaving Lily and James to walk together.

"So Eboni pretty much wants Sirius hard core." Lily said turning to walk backwards. She smiled at him, and he felt his heart jump. For years he had been waiting for her to smile at him like that, as a friend. But now it seemed like there was something more to her smile, like a hidden innuendo. He shook off the thought, _We're friends now Remember? I had my chance, just make sure she's happy._

"Thank god because he has been annoying me to death, I told him that she would be up for it." He said smiling at her.

A blush creeped onto her cheeks and she smiled back. _There it was again that smile. Goddamn James would you stop doing that it's over O-V-E-R._ "Yeah it is pretty annoying but I guess that it is payback for all the times that I annoyed her." Lily said turning around and sliding open the compartment door.

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

* * *

Sirius jerked awake at the sound of people entering the compartment he hadn't even realized that they had left. Eboni must have heard them too because she took her head off of his shoulder and straightened up.

"I can't believe you guys let me sleep through the meeting" She said rubbing her neck.

"But you just looked so cute and besides you can't get off of Sirius's lap until the train stops." She laughed sarcastically and they began to brief her on the contents of the meeting. Including James's confrontation with Malfoy.

Sirius gritted his teeth trying to focus on something else other than the lithe body of Eboni on top of him. It had been a struggle the entire train ride and it was definitely not going to get any easier.

Finally Lily spoke up, "We better get changed we'll be there soon." Eboni sighed and went to get off of Sirius.

"Uh uh not until the train stops." James said shaking his finger at them and then smiling at Lily.

"Then how am I supposed to get dressed?" She said angrily looking between the two.

"Be creative. We'll leave you alone now." Lily grabbed E.B.'s things for her and gave her a wave goodbye before her, Remus, and James (Shaking uncontrollably with laughter) filed out the compartment.

Sirius silently cursed James for this set up, not only did he place both Eboni and himself in a compartment alone. But he threw in that she had to be on top of him the entire time. He drew a ragged breath.

"How are we supposed to pull this off?' E.B. said grabbing her clothes and setting them on her lap.

"Well it takes me like two seconds to get dressed so you can change and I can wait till the train stops." He offered, and too his amazement E.B. nodded. She moved slowly as if any quick movements would startle him, finally she sat to where she completely straddled him. He closed his eyes trying to completely zone out what was around him, especially the amazing body of one Eboni Hammond. _Don't think about her, Don't think about what's going on, Just think about Mum yes your horrid mother. _He felt her shift and his discomfort grew. Hopefully she hadn't noticed thankfully she hadn't said anything if she had. Unexpectedly the train jolted sending Eboni slamming into Sirius's face his eyes snapped open at the assault. There sat E.B. wearing a small black tank top and her school skirt, touching her lip tenderly.

"Ow! That really hurt." Fire raged through him and he could feel the blood begin to pound in his ears. He desperately fought to get a grip on the control that had been so close to breaking the entire ride.

He reached out, softly rubbing the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. "I'm Sorry." He rasped, _way to be discreet Sirius. _"Are you alright?' She nodded and reached up grabbing his wrist and moving his hand to cup her cheek. Sirius watched in awe as she softly pressed a kiss to his palm, _an invitation? _He moved closer setting one hand on the small of her back as the one that held her cheek dove into her thick brown hair. He tilted her head back gently and looked into her eyes for permission, which she greedily gave by pressing her mouth to his.

He groaned as the kiss deepened making his head swim and throw every possible attempt at reason away. Nothing mattered except this, finally getting the thing he wanted most since he had returned home. She pushed him down until he was lying flat on his back and stalled momentarily pulling her shirt over her head and sliding it to the compartment floor.

He stared at the exquisiteness of her, never before could he imagine her to be absolutely perfect in every way. She smiled shyly, lowering herself once more on top of him. How much time had passed while they devoured each other Sirius couldn't say but he enjoyed just being with her. He slowly moved her beneath him not breaking their kiss. Little by little he shifted her slowly making his was downward moving over the swell of her stomach. He expertly unhooked the button of her skirt with his teeth and smiled when she laughed and pressed a light kiss against the skin directly above the waistband.

"Are you guys done in there?" came James's voice from outside the compartment door. Sirius jerked his head up to stare at Eboni and the look of absolute horror on her face. Reality hit like a slap as she pushed him off of her, _it didn't matter what she looked like she was still Eboni and she was still his friend and he still almost had his way with her on the TRAIN._ He watched as she hastily started pulling on her uniform.

"Eb—"he started.

"Don't you dare say a word." They continued dressing with their backs facing each other daring not to look out of sheer mortification. When they were finished Eboni slammed open the door and ran down the corridor.

"EBONI!" Sirius yelled following on her heels. James, Remus, and Lily stared after them dumbfounded and completely unaware of the severity of the situation.

* * *

**A/N: I feel so bad for Lily though she kind of deserves it. This is only the beginning of their problems though you will see, I have a rough road planned for them. The same for Sirius and E.B. maybe even worse. Don't worry Remus will get his girl too, I am just waiting for them to get to Hogwarts until they talk.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Assault with a Deadly Weapon**

**Disclaimer: you get the idea**

* * *

"Eboni would you just stop?" Sirius said through gasps, he had been following her since they had gotten off the train and he was amazed at how fast and how long she could run. The neared the horseless carriages that brought students to the school and she finally slowed to a walk. "Merlin you can run!" he said as he jogged the last couple of feet that brought him to her side and grabbed the stitch that had seized up. "I think I'm dying," he gasped and his knees gave out and he fell to the earth, his chest heaving.

Eboni stopped and bent over the form of Sirius. "God you git it's not going to get any better if you just lay there, stand up and get some air in your lungs or the acids are going to settle in your legs and you're going to cramp up." She extended her hand to help him up but he just stared at her in pain.

"I can't!" he moaned as a dull pain began to tighten inside his chest pressing against his rib cage. "I'm dying, oh god, someone do something, someone give me mouth to mouth." The words came out before he had a chance to comprehend them but when realization hit him he propped himself up on his elbow still panting. E.B. face had turned to stone and she stared at Sirius through a glower. "God E.B. I did…" But he halted when she slapped him directly across the face. He stared in shock and touched the stinging spot on his cheek that had just been assaulted.

"IS EVERYTHING A SODDING JOKE TO YOU?" She screamed scrambling to her feet. "I HATE YOU MORE…MORE…" She stumbled for the words trying to think of the worst possible insult to mar there saying of adoration. "MORE THAN YOUR BROTHER!" She whipped around and ran to hide in a carriage, Sirius lay there for a moment before he too jumped up and began to run. This _is going to kill me_.

"Oy Padfoot, What's the deal?" James asked as the figure of Sirius went sprinting past him.

"I'll tell you later." He yelled over his shoulder as he ran to the carriage she had just entered.

* * *

Eboni was fuming, _how dare he make fun of something like that, not just what had happened, but me. _She felt like screaming for hours on end and her palm's itched to slap him harder. It took a short while before she realized that Remus was in the carriage looking completely terrified. "Remus…" she said surprise evident in her voice. "I'm so sorry I didn't even see you there."

"You're not going to kill me are you?" He looked absolutely horrified and Eboni couldn't help but smile at the look plastered on his face.

"Of course I'm not going to kill you." She said reassuringly but when her mind snapped back to what Sirius had just said she continued. "But if that stupid, ridiculous, manipulative, egomaniacal, self-obsessed prat you call a friend comes…"

She was cut off by the offending person's voice. "Hey!" he exclaimed and Eboni whipped around looking daggers at him. _Curses why couldn't I be blessed with heat vision._

"Well speak of the devil. Go away before I rip your head off…and I think you know that I mean more than one" He paled a little but did not walk away, she was surprised at his determination, Sirius was always one to protect his assets.

"No." He said firmly. "Not until we talk." He hoisted himself into the seat next to her she glared at him before crossing her arms over her chest and sulking. He waited for a few minutes before he started. "Are you really going to sulk like a baby just because I didn't leave?" She glared at him again slightly elevating her nose in the air. "I'm not just going to leave it alone."

"Maybe I want you to. Maybe I want to leave it alone and never talk about it or you again" She said continuing look forward towards the school. "maybe I want to force you to eat your own bullocks."

"Do you think I would be able to forget about what just happened? You're my oldest friend and I'm not going to let a little thing like that ruin everything."

"LITTLE? I don't think you have a choice. It's forgotten and I believe things were ruined when you tried to get in my pants on the train." Remus choked loudly and Eboni's head snapped over to where he was staring out the hack. She was grateful she didn't have to make eye contact with him, assuming that he was as embarrassed as she was. _Great now Remus knows, he's going to tell James who'll tell Peter, and Peter will TELL EVERYBODY. _She groaned slapping herself in the forehead. _Could this day feasibly get any worse. _

"Oh really. So it is all my fault is it?" She stared at him with a look that clearly said obviously. What was he one about it wasn't her fault. "Then maybe you could explain to me why you kissed me? Because I'm pretty sure that none of what happened on the train would have happened if you didn't instigate it."

"What are you talking about?" She said throwing her hands in the air and shaking her head.

"That's right woman, think about it you kissed me not the other way around. I asked you if you were okay and you kissed me. For gods sakes you're acting like I forced you into something and you know I would never do something like that especially with you." She squeezed her eyes shut in concentration and moments later they snapped open in horror.

"Oh god! I did kiss you. I'm so sorry I didn't mean…" He held up his hand and she stopped lowering her eyes to the handkerchief that she had been knotting tightly.. She quickly released it and looked up.

"Do you really hate me more than my brother?" He asked a note of sadness in his voice. Regulus Black was always a sore subject for Sirius, especially because Eboni had had to choose between the two when school started. Since then Sirius had been very protective of his friends when tensions were high. He would defend them till the death because he realized how much they had sacrificed at his expense. Eboni herself hadn't just given up Regulus when she chose to stick with the older Black and the Potter boy, she also gave up her family, her marriage, and her inheritance.

"Of course not, you know that I could never hate anybody more than your brother. I just wanted to upset you. I mean…" He nodded to signify that he understood. "So are we okay now?" She asked searching his eyes for whatever answers they may contain.

"That is all I wanted." They shook hands and turned to Remus who continued to stare out of the hack. "You can look now." He turned slowly so to be sure that he wasn't being tricked.

"Oh and Remus if you tell anybody about what you heard. I will personally do to you what I promised I'd do to Sirius. Savvy?"

* * *

The ride to the Great Hall was much more enjoyable then the ride on the train, though Sirius couldn't tell which he liked doing better. Snogging E.B. or joking around with her because he certainly enjoyed snogging her. In fact he couldn't remember a time that he enjoyed kissing a girl as he did E.B. They made their way down the table and sat at their usual spot at the very end.

"Seriously how did you learn to run like that?" Sirius asked making his way through the crowds of Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. Eboni laughed throwing a look over her shoulder.

"Lily." She replied turning towards their seats.

"Are you telling me Lily can run like that too?" He asked completely flabbergasted, this was definitely something he had to tell James about.

"Well Yes" She said taking the seat directly across from Sirius and leaning forward. "You see second year I went over to Lily's house to visit and she was going to a Track meet." Sirius didn't register the meaning and she knew he wouldn't even before she said it. She sighed, "It's a sport mostly to do with running, but there is jumping and throwing also."

Sirius shook his head, "Muggles actually run around as a sport?""Yes." She continued. "I thought that at first we were just going to watch the meet and I was like alright doesn't sound too bad, and then I come to hear Lily is competing. She runs the 200 with me and Hurdles she is bloody amazing at Hurdles."

"So you just started to go with her and do it."

"Sort of at first I thought that it was ridiculous, who would want to run around for fun. But Lily came in first in Hurdles and in third in the 4 x 200 because their second leg was terrible. Lily managed to start training me and I became a second leg. Also I do High jump and Long jump."

"For fun?" He said again a look of incredulity on his face.

'Yes Sirius for fun, and I absolutely love it, I think you would really like it too. You should come and try it. Or at least come running with me sometimes."

"I think I'll pass, if we run anything like we did back there I really will die." She laughed and they turned to the front looking for Dumbledore. "Where is he, I'm about to starve!"

Sirius started shifting uncomfortably in his chair grabbing his stomach. "You're not going to die and it will be like twenty minutes until the food is here so pipe down." He whimpered and set his head on the table during the majority of the sorting.

'Lavina Black'

"Sirius are you related to her?" Remus asked from next to Sirius. His head popped up and stared at the blond girl with pale skin.

'Hufflepuff' yelled the Sorting hat.

"Nope." And put his head back on the table bouncing his knees up and down.

"Cale Black"

'Slytherin" yelled the sorting hat again.

Sirius's head lifted to look at the sneering boy with black hair. "Now I am definitely related to him." He said before dropping his forehead on the table with a huge thunk. Finally the last of the first years had been seated at one of the four tables and Dumbledore had stood up to speak.

"Hello students and welcome back to another year at Hogwarts, I'm sure you all have an exciting year planned for us teachers and I can assure you that we have some tricks up our sleeves as well." His eyes glittered as he eyed the familiar group of boys sitting at the Gryffindor table. 'I'll have the first years know that the Forbidden forest is off limits to all students, some older boys should consider remembering that as well." James smiled at Dumbledore and whispered to Sirius.

"I think he's talking about us mate."

"Also I want to congratulate Lily Evan's and James Potter on receiving the Head boy and girl positions. Before we get ready to eat Filch has some announcements he would like me to read." He pulled out a long piece of parchment from his pocket and lowered his spectacles.

"Bring on the FOOD!" Sirius yelled from the back.

"All in good time Mr. Black I promise you. To all students there will be no hexes permitted in the hallways, also no mud or other sticky substances. Filibuster fireworks are off-limits on school grounds as well as a number of other Zonko products if you would like the full list it will be available on the bulletin board. And last but certainly not least stunning Mrs. Norris dying her Scarlet and Gold, having the house elves send her up for breakfast with the words 'happy birthday Filch love the Marauders' is not a good birthday present." Remus snorted loudly and buried his face in his arms trying to cover up the laughter. Sirius and James just smirked and Dumbledore laughed lightly. "Now ladies and Gentlemen, Tuck in.

"Thank YOU!" Sirius yelled as he reached for the food that had just appeared in heaps on the table.

"You're very welcome Mr. Black."

* * *

"Did you actually do that?" Lily asked James incredulously. He gave her a wicked smile and reached for the pitcher of pumpkin juice. "I'll take that as a yes."

"Now Lily how could you accuse me of something like that." He scooped a large portion of mashed potatoes onto his plate and batted his eyes innocently she laughed and shoved him. He turned back to Sirius and began joking between bites of his food. She watched him intently mesmerized by the way his lips twitched right before he was about to laugh, and the way he separated the food on his plate. How had she been so stupid before to not see how absolutely perfect he was, well it didn't matter anymore did it now that he had vowed to give her up. She glared at Felicity who was now waving to get James's attention. He gave her a little wave and turned back to his friends. Somehow he felt her gaze and turned to meet her gaze questionably. He stared at her in confusion for a moment before she gave him a huge smile and turned back to her meal. She felt him watch her for a few moments more before turning back to his own meal. She had to find a way to get him to give her another chance and not long after this realization struck, she devised a plan.

Soon they were all too full to even move and Dumbledore once more stood up to address the students. "Now Prefects I would like you to get up and lead your houses to their towers and may I speak to the heads also."

James, Lily, Remus, and Eboni each got up and began to walk towards the head table. Lily took a look at Remus and sighed, _Might as well get this over with_. "Remus can I talk to you real quick?" Remus fell back and the other two walked ahead of them.

"What's up?" he said. She risked a look over to James who had now stopped and was staring at them suspiciously.

"Ummm…well I need your help." He too looked at James and then shook his head knowingly.

"Yeah I figured this would happen."

"It's that obvious is it?" She laughed and he smiled.

"You just have to promise that you won't let him kill me…and you'll help me with my girl problem." She nodded fervently and he looked at James who now looked about moments from the very act which Remus needed protection. "Sure Lily I would love to be your Boyfriend." He said the last statement loud enough for James to hear and Lily smiled crushing Remus into a hug.

"I'll see you tomorrow at Breakfast okay?" He nodded and they both moved away from each other, Lily walking towards James who was scowling at Remus.

"What the hell was that all about?" He asked angrily pointing at the retreating form of Remus.

"Well I had to date someone." She said nonchalantly holding back from saying, _and unfortunately right when I wanted_ _it to be you, you were already taken. _However he was cut short by arriving at the table with Dumbledore.

"Well hello there, I'll be showing you to the Head dormitories." They followed him to the familiar route to the Gryffindor tower but stopped short next to a picture of a very skinny blonde girl sitting sternly on a bench. "This is Georgiana and she will be your entryway, I believe that is all you need me for so I will leave you two to find out what your password will be. I won't need to know it because if I shall need to speak with you I shall tell you ahead of time at a meeting. However if there is urgent matters I have my own way of entering." They watched him walk away before turning to each other.

"So I was thinking that 'James Potter is the most amazingly good looking man in the world" was genius, Thoughts?" She laughed at him and punched him in the shoulder.

"We need one that no one will guess James." She paced back and forth for a moment before speaking again. "What about Quidditch?"

"No anybody who knows who I am, which is everyone mind you would be able to guess that." She nodded and continued to think, James had propped himself against the wall and was staring into space. "What about LilyFlower?" She glared menacingly at him and he held up his hands in defense. "I get it Lilyflower is out."

He watched her pace for a little while longer, before she spoke again, "What about a Beatles song."

"A what?" Lily shook her head and waved her hand dismissing the idea.

"What about Pumpkin pasty?" James offered watching as she swung around smiling.

"That's perfect James. I absolutely love anything Pumpkin."

"I know." He replied laughing and looking down at Lily who was watching him thoughtfully, _What is she thinking right now? _She again turned to Georgiana and smiled.

"Did you get that?" She asked politely.

"Of course," the high pitched girlish voice said and swung open to reveal their new living quarters for the next year. The room was an amazing circular structure with a dome roof. There was a huge fireplace upon the back wall with a massive fur rug in front of it. Atop that was a large green sofa that looked like it could seat six people comfortably and around the other walls there was shelf upon shelf of books. Lily gasped as she picked up a volume and ran her fingers down the spine. She surveyed her surrounding again and found that next to the door that read 'Lily Evans' there was a wooden desk exactly like the one she had at home and on the opposite side next to James's door was a large cupboard that had endless supplies of broom servicing equipment.

"This is the most perfect room that I could ever ask for." He said in awe, as he perused the contents of the cupboard. Lily was startled at his outburst not only because he lived in such luxury but because she thought it absolutely perfect as well.

"It's like they went inside my mind and extracted what I wanted my house to look like." She rushed around and dove onto the coach letting out a great sigh. "It's absolutely perfect."

"Yes it is." He agreed, but little did she know that he wasn't talking about the room. She lifted herself onto her elbows.

"I'm going to check out my room." And she trotted over to the door with her name on it. When she opened it she felt her heart leap. There were pictures of her favorite Actors and Actresses on the wall in huge Black and White prints. Her bedspread was a white down comforter with Black Lilies sewn into it and the pillows were varying shades of Black and White. Her dressers and bed frame was a dark oak and a top each were dozens of pictures of her and her friends, her parents, and one of James. She grabbed the picture and sat on the bed feeling her heart flutter at the thought of him. She smiled inwardly and hugged the picture closer, _I am such a loser, I can't even hug the real James I have to hug his picture in private._ The door suddenly opened and she stuffed the picture behind her.

"What are you doing?" He asked suspiciously.

"Nothing!" She said a little too quickly as she moved to her dresser and stuffed the frame inside a drawer.

"You're lucky I'm not persistent or I might just go and see what that was." She laughed shaking from the embarrassment of her actions. He caught her practically kissing a picture of him. "You're room is really nice." He said bending down to look at her pictures.

"You are the very definition of persistent James. I know when I walked in I just felt like I was completely at home, It's absolutely perfect." She sat on her bed again and watched as he picked up the picture of her and her parents.

"Are these your parents?" He asked to which she nodded. "You look a lot like your mum but you have your dad's eyes." He said setting the picture down and looking at her.

"I hear that all the time." She said crinkling her nose. "But my mum says that I got my body from my dad, we have the same square ankles and square ass."

He smiled, "I don't think your ass is square."

She laughed again moving to lay on her stomach. "Thank you I don't think my ass has gotten such a nice compliment before." She waited before asking, "Can I see your room?"

"Sure," he said as he moved toward the door Lily in tow. The walked across the common room to the door that read 'James Potter'. When he opened the door she was surprised at how simple it was. There sat a queen bed with a plaid down blue comforter on it and a single pillow angled wrong as if he had already jumped on the bed. The walls were adorned with several quidditch posters and there was a night table next to the window. She plopped down on his bed and grabbed a picture of the two of them on his nightstand. They were both leaning their heads together and smiling broadly.

"Where did you get this picture?" She asked trying to recall the memory without success.

"Third year. Sirius took it right after McGonagall said we had to get along all class period or we would both get three weeks of detention." She laughed as the day popped to the front of her brain.

"Oh god I remember that. Do you think I could have a copy, I mean we are friends now." He nodded happily as she brought it closer to her eyes examining the scene, "Does my hair really look that bad?" She asked looking up to James for confirmation. He grabbed the picture and surveyed it.

"I think that you have wonderful hair." He placed it back on his nightstand and moved to sit next to her.

"You're just saying that because you don't want me to burn the picture." He thought for a moment and then bobbed his head to the side.

"You know me too well." She stuck her tongue out and glared at him. He smiled again and stared at her. "I'm really glad that we are getting along." He said suddenly completely catching Lily off guard.

"Me too. You're actually a pretty great guy you know that?" He smiled again, his usual cheeky grin

"Now Lily you wouldn't want to add to my ego would you? Or maybe I should just go over to your room and see what's in that drawer of yours." The blood drained from her face and she glanced at the door. _He wouldn't would he?_ The both started running at the same time James beating her to the door and flying across the common room. _Oh god no this cannot be happening_. She was right on his heels when he opened the drawer and grabbed the photo placing it behind his back.

"Give it to me." She said threateningly and poking him hard in the rib.

"Ow…and why should I?"

"Because it is none of your business that's why please James."

"You'll Have to kiss me for it."

* * *

"You'll have to kiss me for it." They words came out before he had a chance to control them and he immediately began to cover his tracks. "I'm joking Lily I didn't mean it—"

"Okay." He stared at her in shock. _Did Lily Evan's just agree to kiss me?_

"No Lily really I was joking…I mean…" He placed the picture back in the drawer face down and slid it closed. "See I'm sorry I'll leave."

"No James I said it was okay," He stopped and looked at her again, _Why was she agreeing to this?_ "Look I figured that things would be a lot less difficult for both of us if we just got it out of our system. So alright James I'll kiss you." _I wish that Sirius was here to slap me and wake me up because this dream is so not funny. _

"Lily I have a girlfriend." _That's right though she means absolutely nothing to me and I would much rather kiss you._

"And I have a boyfriend or have you forgotten that?" His jaw locked again as he remembered what he had overheard earlier. _Once I see Remus I will hex him, then beat him, and then kill him. _

"Yeah I heard." He looked down.

"So really we aren't doing anything one-sided here. You like Felicity…" _Very not true "…_I like Remus…" _I'm going to make sure is not true _"…So really we are just settling differences." He drew a ragged breath, however simple that may sound he didn't know if he could separate differences from real emotions. "We don't have to do it now. We can wait until later, right before we go to bed but really I think that it would be best if we did. Come on James…" She teased smiling and poking him in the sides "…We're friends right. I won't tell a soul I promise."

"I don't know Lily, I just don't know.

* * *

The fire crackled in the fireplace and Lily looked up from the novel she was pretending to read for the thousandth time. _Did I really create this awkward silence? _James sat at his cupboard diligently polishing his Comet two-sixty. He had been busy with his broom for about an hour and Lily was starting to get anxious. _Would you calm down it's just a kiss, a kiss that hadn't even happened yet. _She sighed heavily and he turned to look at her. She set down her book and wrapped her arms around her knees, watching as he locked up his broom and moved to sit on the couch.

"You pay way too much attention to that broom." Lily said cheekily.

"You mean that." He replied pointing to the cupboard that he had just abandoned. "That was nothing, I could of gone for at least two more hours." Lily's eyebrows rose in astonishment and James laughed. He turned to the fire his head leaned against his fist and Lily watched him intently. He looked back at her, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Her face flushed and she began to move towards him, her nerves catching fire as he neared closer. "Lily—" She pressed her fingers to his lips and leaned closer. She whispered his name.

"James." This is what she wanted, not Remus, not Sirius, James, just James. She pressed her lips to his and moved even closer. His hands moved to the sides of her face lightly tracing the curves of her cheekbones. She pulled away slowly opening her eyes. His hands were still on her face and his eyes were closed.

"That wasn't so bad was it?"

He opened them slowly looking at her through cloudy eyes. "Please Lily I would hardly call that a kiss." He closed the distance between them and once again pressed his lips to her. She opened her mouth a fraction and jolted a second later when his tongue slipped inside. Her toes curled inside her slippers and her entire body flashed hot. She closed her eyes and pressed her lips harder to his, driven by an instinct she hadn't known she possessed.

His lips curved against hers as he smiled, wordlessly encouraging her to proceed. In easy, gentle circles he rubbed his thumb against the base of her skull. A whimper escaped her, followed by a delicate trembling that threatened to combust her already enflamed senses. She whimpered again and deepened their kiss, slanting her lips across his, greedy and hungering, wanting more and knowing instinctively that she would never, ever get enough of his captivating embrace.

This time it was James's turn to groan, the one to press his mouth harder and more passionately against hers.

He caught her lower lip between his teeth and nibbled for a long moment before giving a gentle tug that coaxed her mouth even wider. Time spun away as she lost herself in the sensations, lost herself to everything except James and his exquisite kisses. Restlessly she shifted her legs, thighs brushing against his and she forgot where her lips ended and his began. She had wanted to feel something, to have him feel something between them. In a word she wanted the world to shift on its axis, and Lord almighty it was shifting. She reached out to touch his jaw, but immediately traveled further plunging her fingers into his thick jet black hair to pull him closer.

He moaned and toppled her backward into the sea of plump sofa cushions. He encircled her waist with one arm as the other dove into her hair, making her moan into his mouth.

"James! James where the bloody hell are you?"

They halted abruptly staring at one another in bewilderment. Somehow Sirius's voice had interrupted but upon looking around the common room he was nowhere to be found.

"James would you reach in your bloody pocket already, I can't see anything so I'm assuming that's where I am."

He pushed himself up and watched her do the same before reaching into his  
pocket and retrieving a small mirror.

"Perfect timing Sirius."

"Where the bloody hell are you?"

"I'm in the Head dormitories you sod…" he glanced over at Lily who had once again wrapped her arms around her knees and was tenderly touching her swollen lips. "Where are you?"

"I'm in the Gryffindor common room but I didn't have the map and I wanted to make sure." Lily laughed and James looked at her again. "Is that Lily?"

"Yes Mother it is now do you want anything imparticular or did you just ruin my life for no reason?"

"No reason!" James nodded his head with an annoyed jerk, this had to be one of the only times in his life that he wished that Sirius simply didn't exist. "Hey man can we stay in the head rooms this weekend?" He looked at Lily who was thinking her lips pursed, she reached across the sofa and grabbed the mirror from James.

"Unfortunately Sirius dear I have called the first sleepover so you will have to wait for some other weekend." She handed the mirror back to James who peered at his friend.

"How is that Bloody fair?" He shouted his face clearly appalled. "Lily, we will have our sleepover this weekend!"

"I don't think so man, but I am gonna go now alright." James replied glancing again to Lily who had leaned over his shoulder to see Sirius's face.

"OOOOOHHHHHHH. I see how it is. Giving up your friends for the ladies, who is the more loyal one now?" He said cockily.

"Oh please Sirius don't even start on this one I am definitely the most loyal out of the two. Even ask Remus." Lily laughed from behind him.

"James you're giving me up for a girl."

"I am not!"

"Are too."

"Am NOT"

"Are too!"

"I am not giving you up and besides haven't you cheated on like three hundred girls before? That doesn't sound loyal at all." He smiled broadly.

"Your right I definitely lose, but I'll talk to you at breakfast." He gave James a knowing wink and then disappeared.

"I'm really sorry about that." His eyes locked onto her lips for a moment, a chill ran up his spine as he remembered what had just come to pass.

"You have a two way mirror?" Her mouth was open in amazement, "James that is very advanced magic, how did you manage it?"

He laughed again, "Don't worry I didn't make it by myself Remus did most of the work." She smiled again and set her head against the back of the couch. "Lily, about the kiss, I just wanted to apologize, it went a lot farther than I expected." Her head came up but she did not look at him. Mainly for fear that the pain would be so easily visible in her eyes at the moment. She stood then grabbing the book off of the coffee table and moving towards her room.

"It's alright James, it was my idea in the first place." Her voice shook and he peered around trying to read what she was feeling but she turned again crossing to her room. He wanted to know if it meant something to her, but she seemed to be avoiding the conversation.

"Lily are you sure you're alright, I'd hate to lose you as a friend now that we just have settled our differences." Her heart broke as he said the words. _Just friends? Then he didn't feel anything, I really don't have a chance._

"No James, I'm fine, Goodnight." She closed the door behind her running to her bed and burying her sobs in her pillow. James however stared at the door in which she had just left him. He closed his eyes and the memories of her in his arms came rushing back. He sighed as the area around his heart clenched in pain, how would he ever be able to be around her without remembering those perfect moments. _You kissed her James! Nice move that definitely is giving her up. _He moved to his own door putting out the fire with his wand and making his way to bed. He lay on his back staring at the ceiling, but there was no way that he would be able to sleep tonight, nor any night in the near future for that matter.

* * *

**A/N: That sucks! I hoped you liked! I think that the next chapter is going to be either in the Common Room or the great hall at Breakfast. I think the common room though because I have a good Idea between Sirius and Eboni. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Evening of The day After (The Kiss)**

**Dislaimer: I do not.**

**A/N: Yeah this chapter is completely different then it used to be. I'm pretty excited to finish off all these improvements and get this story back on track. Thank you so much for those who have reviewed thus far. You guys are awesome!**

* * *

"Where was he?" Eboni had just descended from the girls dormitories to find that the common room had been nearly deserted, the majority of the Gryffindor house stuffed to the seams and ready for a good night's rest. . Remus had once again buried himself behind a novel and Sirius sat sulkily in the arm chairs next to the fire muttering darkly.

"In the bloody heads dormitories with Liiiiilllllllllyyyyy." He said his face scrunching up and crossing his arms across his chest.

"Awwwww….." Eboni cooed moving to sit on the arm of his chair. She had just gotten ready for bed and donned her glasses and her favorite pajama bottoms. She had also thrown her hair up into a ponytail and squeezed into a white tank top. "…is wittle Sirius mad because Jamsie has a new friend?" She smiled as Sirius glared up at her.

"No…but he is giving up the group for that girl and she is getting inside his head and turning him against us. It's like Yoko to John Lennon! She's like a brain washing succubus and she is training him and soon we won't even be able to recognize him."

"Sirius, this is Lily and don't refer Lily to Yoko Ono please." Eboni said moving in front of him which he refused to acknowledge. "Hello?" she snapped her fingers a few times before he looked to her his lip protruding. "James has wanted Lily since…mmm let me go back…forever so chill out! They're friends! What did you have planned for this weekend anyway" She moved towards the fireplace silently cursing Sirius for even existing. _Why do I have to be so attracted to him? So what he's a more than amazing kisser who made me want to faint while simultaneously throw him a broom closet. No big deal right? Right?_

"We were going to break in the new Marauder domain. Weren't we Remus?" Remus made an incoherent grunting sound and Eboni immediately pushed herself off of the fireplace.

"Whatever! Lily promised us half-naked pillow fights this weekend, and I refuse to give up our spot!" She placed her hands on her hips in mock anger and watched the boy's reaction. Sirius had sat up in his chair and was gripping his seat like he was about to ride a rollercoaster and Remus was oblivious to what was said. "Evan and I were really looking forward to it." She inserted smoothly.

The book immediately fell to the floor, snapping shut and Remus looked around wide-eyed. "Half naked Evan…What?" Sirius burst with laughter making Eboni smile and Remus blush. Sirius had almost hit the floor clutching his side before Eboni started to move.

"Don't be too obvious Remus." She crossed over to him picking up the book and handing it back to him. Once she was certain that she was out of earshot of Sirius she whispered. "She likes you too." His face flushed again but an uncontrollable smile had spread across it and Sirius had no idea why. "I'll talk to Lily and see if we can't work something out. We'll probably just spend the majority of it in her room anyway so I don't see what it will hurt if you guys were there too."

Sirius jumped up screaming in triumph, bouncing on the hapless chair. "You're the best E.B." He ran to her hugging her in a huge circle before continuing on and skipping around the room in glee.

"Oh but Sirius there is just one more thing." He stopped skipping and looked at her expectantly to which she smiled. Her body angled toward the couch and jumped over the arm propping herself up to see his face. "How much do you love me? And keep in mind that your response shall influence my talk to Lily."

His face fell and Remus had abandoned his reading to watch as Sirius once again lost their small but ongoing battle. His voice was quiet and he had shoved his hands in his pocket before mumbling, "I love you more than bunnies."

"That's goddamn right."

* * *

Lily had already left for the Great hall when James had woke up and he cursed himself for being a hard sleeper. He had really wanted to talk to her in private about the kiss, he couldn't bear it if it was just forgotten. Not when it meant so much to him. He got ready quickly showering and dressing before throwing on some shoes and making his way to breakfast.

Everyone was there already and he checked his watch, before taking his seat in-between Sirius and Lily. "Jesus Christ you all are up early." There was a few short hellos' from the others and James looked expectantly at the flaming red-haired goddess next to him for any sign of a change. Yet no matter how he tried he couldn't seem to get eye contact from her and soon gave up, resorting to indulging his appetite. He grabbed four pieces of French toast from the nearest tray and began to stuff himself while listening intently to Eboni and Sirius's conversation.

"No Sirius listen to me I know that you would support the Chudley Cannons under any circumstances but you have to admit they have no chance for the cup!" She had pointed her fork at him and was waving it wildly, almost hitting Remus several times.

"Eboni love you underestimate the power of the dark side." She rolled her eyes and began to eat again. "No seriously you may say that they're not, but I believe that there new defense system is going to hold up for their loss of players."

"No the Silver arrows are going to win hands down they have an amazing new seeker and they already have the best beaters in Quidditch history. You're going to lose." James held up his hand and they waited for him to finish his bite.

"I agree with Eboni, being a fan of the Silver Arrows myself but I was appalled that she failed to mention the cat-like reflexes of their keeper, Crowe." Eboni snorted and the others looked at her expectantly.

"That's because Crowe is part cat." She said, realization finally dawning on the others. While the other's simply nodded with appreciation for the pun and Lily laughed. Lily however didn't just laugh, Lily laughed hard. Somehow between the laughing and clutching her sides her food had lodged itself into her throat and she immediately started choking.

"Lily are you okay?" James said turning to her as she motioned towards her throat. It took him a moment before he realized the dilemma and patted her hard on the back. She coughed hard and James began to quickly move the hair out of her face. The others were surprisingly unconcerned that James sat there holding her as she panted heavily. "Are you sure you're going to be okay? I'll carry you to Madame Pompfreys if you'd like." She shook her head before looking up into his eyes. He was immediately lost as he was every time. The inevitable happened and his body took over. Before he could stop himself he leaned in slowly watching as her eyes flicked down to his lips and up again. They were mere inches apart and he watched as her eyes fluttered closed silently consenting, he smiled and let his eyes drift shut as he leaned in for another mind-blowing taste of her lips when…

"JAMES!" Came a screech and Felicity came running into the great hall. "It has been so long since I last saw you and I miss you." He silently cursed himself for 1) having a girlfriend and 2) almost kissing Lily again to which he didn't as much curse as the first and 3) that he didn't get to kiss her which was definitely the downfall. She scurried over immediately pushing Lily over and inserting herself between them all while smiling happily. Lily got up gracefully, a hard look set on her face. She looked at James once more but James couldn't possibly decode her feelings as he mouthed 'I'm Sorry'. Instead she grabbed a muffin, along with her school bag which seemed to be overflowing and walked over to Remus. James watched as she leaned down and whispered something in his ear, to which his friend laughed. He barely registered that Evan had also seen it and was looking at the two with a look that most likely mirrored his own. Evan had been Remus's crush since second year and not many others knew that Evan was as smitten with him as he was with her. Her green eyes flicked to her plate and her long waves fell in her face as she tried to hide the scene to her right. Lily smiled down at Remus before giving him a light kiss and walking away bread in hand. He watched her exit the doors to the great hall leaving James behind with nothing more than an annoying girlfriend, and a ruined appetite. He pushed his plate away and half-heartedly listened to what Felicity was droning on about. It wasn't until Sirius leaned over to him and snapping him out of his daze. He kept his voice low so that the others didn't hear.

"Were my eyes deceiving me or did you almost snog Ms. Evans at the breakfast hall?" James cast a furtive look around noting that no one had heard a Padfoot's missive before looking back to where he sat.

"I don't want to talk about this here, want to take a walk?" Sirius nodded enthusiastically before grabbing the entire basket of muffins and throwing one leg over the bench. James convinced Felicity that he would only be gone a moment and soon after they were heading out of the Great Hall.

"So what's going on? And when did giving up the girl include almost snogging." James sighed heavily before stopping in front of a suit of armor and leaning against the opposite wall.

"Look it's not like I wanted it to happen alright. I just can't help it! It's always been like that with her my head spins and I do things that I wouldn't normally consider doing. Like kissing her." He said burying his face in his hands. "Look it happened last night…"

"Whoa you kissed her last night too?!"

"Well what the hell do you think that you interrupted you Prat?" James said looking up at Sirius whose face contorted in amazement. He moved his hand over his mouth trying without success to hide his smirk. "It was an accident we were playing around and I got this picture out of her drawer and I said that I would only give it back to her if she kissed me…" Sirius tutted and James held up his hand. "…Let me finish, well I slipped up and I immediately started covering my tracks but she said okay."

"You're joking right?" James shook his head, "Well I understand the beginning of our conversation last night now."

"She suggested we do it before we went to bed and I was like, no bad idea we're giving her up, but when we were sitting on the coach talking she leaned over and kissed me. And it wasn't like a little kiss. Well it started out that way, but it just was…" He sighed again turning towards the wall searching somewhere deep inside himself to describe the perfection of their time together, "…amazing, perfect, absolutely intoxicating. It was more than I ever thought that it would be it was like we were meant to be together just like that forever. Then one thing leads to another and I'm on top of her on the couch trying to get my hand up her shirt and then dear old Sirius calls." Sirius winced and reached into the basket un-wrapping a muffin and devouring it.

"Tough luck man." He said though his mouth was full it sounded more like "twufflwukkmeeeooon."

"And then this morning I woke up planning on talking to her and telling her how I felt but she was gone. So I go down to breakfast and I was going to suggest we take a walk or walk back to the dormitories together but no. She chokes and I try to snog her again, What kind of friend am I?" Sirius moved to him placing his hand on his shoulder. "and then I saw her with Remus and she looked so goddamn happy and it hurt so bad because all I want is for her to look at me that way. Just once. And I know that we are friends but what's going to stop me from throwing her into an empty classroom while we're patrolling and snogging her senseless?" He stopped again before his voice cracked from the threatening onslaught of emotions. "You're right. I know you and Remus are right that this obsession I have isn't healthy. But what am I supposed to tell my heart when its breaking away and you and Remus are having the time of their life with your girls?"

"Wait I have a girl." Sirius asked muffin in hand.

"When don't you have a girl?" James countered grabbing the muffin and taking a large bite. "Let's go my darling Felicity might have died from the ten minutes that we have been apart." They walked back to the great hall in silence, the only noise being Sirius continually munching on muffins.

* * *

"Lily where the hell are you?" Came Eboni's voice from outside of the bathroom stall.

"Oh you don't want to go in there, she looks positively awful." Came the high pitched squeak of Moaning Myrtle.

_Thanks a lot for that Myrtle, you made me feel a ton better. _

"Why don't you go and unclog a pipe or something?" Came Eboni's reply causing a high pitched wail to emit from the bathroom's resident ghost followed an alarming splash. Lily would have to remind herself later to scold Eboni for that comment, after all Myrtle was just sensitive.

After a few minutes of silence her stall door opened and the form of her best friend propped herself in the door way. Lily has sat on this toilet holding her book bag the entire first class and she didn't care that it was her first day back. "Why didn't you come to class?" But stopped when she saw Lily's tear streaked face. "What's wrong?"

She forced her lips into a weak smile, "Oh nothing much except that I kissed James Potter and now that I might be interested he has vowed that he should leave me alone so that I can be happy with Remus and we can skip off into the sunset with bunnies and unicorns and whatever other rubbish that entails…" Eboni shifted slightly in the doorway.

"About that…when did you and Remus get together?"

"Last night but it doesn't mean anything we both needed to make someone jealous and it really isn't working out the way I planned it. And I feel horrible because I saw the way Evan looked at me and the way James looked at me and all I want is him." Tears began to snake themselves once more from her eyes and she gripped the harsh corners of her book bag tighter.

"When did you and James kiss?" She asked.

"Last night." She watched as Eboni's mouth dropped.

"How was it?"

"It was perfect… there isn't really even one word to describe it. More than I could have even imagined. And then at breakfast I choked and we almost kissed again before that Unrealistically Peppy Felicity came up and snapped us both out of it. And I was jealous that's all, and Remus is supposed to be my boyfriend… And when I left I went up the hall I just didn't want to go to class and see them…" Another tear slid down her cheek and she wiped it against the back of her hand. "Who kisses someone who is supposed to be your friend?" Lily asked furiously to which Eboni looked away her lips pursed.

"I guess that I would be guilty." She said refusing to look at Lily.

"Wait a minute. Eboni Elizabeth Hammond tell me what happened!" Lily had perked up some and she supposed that if it was to make Lily feel better she could embarrass herself.

"It was on the train." She said quietly and Lily gasped raking the last of her tears away with the back of her hand. "Look we were in the compartment and the train jerked and I hit him and then we kissed…" She trailed off and looked at the wall again.

"How was it?" Lily asked mimicking Eboni's earlier question.

"You had to ask didn't you? Well I guess you could say that it was my equivalent of James and your kiss. It was…" She stopped and shook her head. "Stupid Hot. I don't know another word to describe it we were like starving Ethiopians just devouring each other and it was pure insanity."

"Here's too stupid decisions." She said raising an imaginary glass in the air.

"Here here!" Eboni said before waving her wand and making two real glasses of Butterbeer appear and clinking her glass against Lily's.

* * *

"Lily are you here?" James said rushing into their common room and heading for her door. It opened suddenly and Lily walked out towards him wearing her pajamas.

"James, Hi!" She said brightly. 'I'm glad you're here I wanted to go over some  
hogsmeade dates with you." He watched as she crossed past him to the work table that was now covered with pieces of parchments. He moved towards the table determined to get an answer from her.

"Why weren't you in your first two classes today? I was worried, I even sent Eboni after you but she said that you were better off alone for right a bit. What's wrong?" He hooked his finger under her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Nothing nothing just feeling a little under the weather. Nothing to worry about." He looked at her skeptically for a few moments before she moved away from him and directed his attention to a single sheet of paper. "These are the dates that I came up with for Hogsmeade. I knew that we were supposed to have at least ten and so I decided that one before every holiday and an equal time in between two holidays." She watched as he surveyed the paper, but soon a sigh rushed from him and he put the paper down.

"Lily about this morning…" But she held up her hand and pointed to the paper.

"Uh uh. Not about this morning. Nothing happened this morning, nothing happened last night. Nothing is happening right now. Now what do you think?" He felt his heart seize at her words and he looked down the page again this time committing himself to assessing the dates.

"This looks good though we're going to need a date closer to April Fools." She shook her head moving towards to see the paper. He watched mesmerized as she took the parchment and surveyed the contents, brow furrowed.

"We could take the one in between Halloween and Thanksgiving out and put it there. They were a little close together anyway."

"That sounds perfect." She bent down, crossing out the indicated date and adding it on March 27th.

"Then we're agreed." She said folding the paper into an envelope and addressing it to Dumbledore. "Can we use your owl to send this to him?"

He nodded and jogged over to his room to remove his large tawny owl, Peaches. Lily slowly attached the package onto the birds leg. Giving him a jovial "Thank you!" by brushing her hand over the birds feathers as it flew out the open window.

"I wish that I had an owl." She said thoughtfully. James smiled.

"Well if you're a good girl Santa may send you one for Christmas." She smiled again and pushed him playfully.

"Are you ready for patrolling?" She asked pulling on a sweatshirt over her pajama bottoms. He shrugged picking up his wand and tucking them inside his robes.

"Ready as I'll ever be."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Break Up, A Hook Up, and a Sleepover**

* * *

Lily and James didn't have any more run in's after the almost incident in the Great Hall. In fact Lily was happy just getting to know what kind of person he was now that he wasn't annoying her all the time. If they weren't together which wasn't very often, they were talking about each other much to the rest of the group's dismay. Lily couldn't believe how much she had laughed over the past week and how happy she had been. As much as she tried to fight her feelings, the overwhelming desire she felt whenever he got even a fraction of an inch to close slightly unnerved her.

"So what do you want to be when you leave?" She asked as they walked down to the breakfast table. He smiled at her after waving to a group of third years.

"Well I really wanted to be an Auror. My parents are as you know, so I kind of already have a shoe in. But I am prepared to work for it. I hate having things handed to me." She laughed at this, and amused ironic chuckle seeing as how not one year ago she could have argued extensively the opposite of his statement. Instead she kept her mouth shut until they were almost to the double doors.

"Hey Lily." Remus called from the staircase. She waved enthusiastically and she turned back to James.

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." He nodded though the agreement didn't quite reach his eyes. _Well there's no time to puzzle over it now. _"Remus hi." He stopped at the base of the stairs and they watched as James walked through the double doors after giving them one last reproachful look. "I can't do this." She said plainly.

"Thank god because I was about to go crazy." She smiled at the look of relief on his face. "What should we do? Go make a scene or just be like yeah we broke up?"

"I vote the second one. Personally I don't feel like yelling this morning especially when I am happier that we broke up then we got together." He laughed at that and held open the door to the great hall.

"You know usually, a normal person would be upset at that statement but I can't because I feel the exact same way." Lily felt James's gaze fix upon the pair as they began to make their way to their usual spot but stopped short before actually getting there.

"So are we still friends?" She teased to which he laughed again extending his hand which she took merrily.

"I'll have to consult with my pride but I guess that I'll manage." They finished their walk to the table giving hearty hello's to all which drew many suspicious looks.

"What's with you?" Eboni said through bites of her omelet.

"What I can't be in a good mood?" She said defensively leaning across James and grabbing the salt shaker.

"I saw you not three minutes ago and you weren't in that good of a mood." He said bitterly making her smile widen.

"Have a good snog in the hallway Remus?" Sirius asked jokingly to which only Sirius, Remus, and Lily laughed. They others just stared acidly.

"No we broke up." Remus said pouring himself a glass of orange juice.

"What?" James and Evan both said together.

"Yeah it just wasn't working out, besides we both kind of like somebody else." She said looking straight at James, while returning the salt shaker. Evan and Remus were now staring at each other and Lily looked to Eboni with a little smile.

"E.B. Love didn't you have to ask Lily something?" Sirius said sweetly dishing up his plate for his third helping.

"Oh I almost forgot. Tomorrow can the boys have a sleep over too? I figured we could have the pillow fight in your room so they wouldn't even bother us." She took a sip of juice.

Lily pretended to puzzle over the possibility, "Mhmmmmmm let me think. I  
guess we could do that. Do you mind Evan?" Evan finally tore her gaze from Remus's at the mention of her name.

"What?...Oh yeah the pillow fight will be fine in your room."

"Wait you guys actually have half naked pillow fights?" Sirius asked incredulously his hand raised in the air. The girls smirked at each other but didn't not answer him with a yes or no. Sirius prodded James in the side wiggling his eyebrows up and down.

A short laugh escaped Lily before her eyes met Eboni's. "Boys are so disgusting."

* * *

Evan's mind had been reeling ever since that morning at breakfast. _They had broken up, they actually didn't like each other, I still have a chance._ She was floating on a cloud ever since she realized that Remus still had feelings for her and hadn't actually given up. A sickness had plagued her since she had seen Lily and Remus kiss their first day back and until today she thought that her life would never be the same. She sighed clutching her books tighter to her chest while on her way to transfiguration. Could life get any better? Well Yes, now all she had to do was get him to ask her out.

"Evan." She shivered as she heard his voice from the doorway to a classroom. She took a deep breath and turned to see Remus smiling broadly.

"Hi, do you want to walk to Transfiguration with me?" She flushed from her bold invitation which made him smile even bigger.

"Actually I was hoping that I could talk to you alone first." He motioned towards the empty classroom and she felt her heart skip-a-beat as she walked past him setting her books onto a table. "Evan…" He shut the door before turning to look at her.

She faced away, staring towards the blackboard hoping he didn't read the desperation written on her face. That he would know how much she wanted him. She answered him in a near whisper, her voice failing her. "Yes, Remus?"

He took another step closer and her body began to tingle, with his presence or anticipation she didn't know. "I know that I am taking a great leap in the woods now since Lily and I just broke up…" He trailed off and he remained silent for a few minutes before he started again. "You know I like you. You have too. I have for as long as I can remember and today I just got a glimpse of something, of some hope that you could actually feel the same way about me some day. I don't want to rush you or anything, but if you could ever consider me…" He trailed off again and an uncontrollable smile formed on her face. She hung her head but remained silent for fear her voice would once again fail her. "Look I understand, I might of just read—"

She turned around at his recess the smile still clinging to her lips. "No you were right Remus, I like you too, A lot. I would love to be your girlfriend, but can we just take things slow at first. I haven't really been in a relationship before and well I'm not sure how things are going to be. And I know you have." His face lit up at her words and he beamed reaching out and taking her hand in his.

"Anything you want." He grabbed her books and smiled again. "We should get going." She nodded as he led her out of the room protectively putting a hand to the small of her back as someone collided with them. It had finally happened she was his and he was hers and it seemed so right walking down the corridor her hand clasped in his. They arrived in transfiguration hand in hand, love sick smiles plastered on their faces. They separated to their groups across the rooms receiving several interrogations from their friends. But both just shook their head smiling, waiting the minute until class began.

* * *

Both Eboni and Sirius sat irritated in the heads dormitories simultaneously tapping their feet and checking their watches. "Where are they?" He asked several times to which Eboni just shrugged.

"I don't think they'll be here for a while." She said extended her body the length of the couch. "But I know a certain boy whose birthday is tomorrow." She said slyly wiggling her toes in his face. He batted them away and made a face of disgust.

"Yes it is. So what?" He said checking his watch again. Being alone with Eboni in any way shape or form was a challenge nowadays. But when she looked amazing, which seemed to be a common occurrence also, it made things even more difficult.

"So what? The great Sirius Black is going to be seventeen and I think that deserves some early birthday presents." She had scooted closer to him now, back on her heels and was waving her hands dramatically. He face instantly perked up at the mention of presents and almost instinctively started making his famous puppy dog face. "I don't know you did insult my feet." She said pensively putting her finger to her chin in mock concentration.

"Puuuuhhhhhhhllllllleeeeeeaaaaassssssseeeeeee." He begged crossing his hands and sticking his lower-lip out further.

"Nope you'll just have to wait." She said leaning back onto the couch. His jaw dropped and he lunged forward to grab her.

"Why you little tease!" He pulled her across him tickling her.

"LET ME GO!" She said straining against the vice of his hands on her waist, her laughter echoing around the empty common room.

"Not until you give me my presents." He said continuing the onslaught of torture. In the middle of his epic plan to ferret out his birthday gifts the realization of their position crossed his mind and his hands eased. She stopped wriggling as she lay across him, one arm looped around his neck for support. They stared at each other for a moment before his eyes flicked to her lips. She hastily darted her tongue out against her lower lip and he was a goner. _Girls shouldn't be allowed to tease boys_, he thought as he leaned in closing his eyes. Yet he made contact with nothing.

"You're good but you're not that good. If you want them that bad I'll give them to you." His eyes jerked open as she smiled wrestling out of their almost-embrace. She padded over to a large box set above the mantel piece. She grabbed it and then swung on her heel crossing back over to where Sirius sat.

She sat herself on the far end of the couch between Sirius and the box. He peered around expectantly and she slapped him as he tried to reach around her for it. "Hold on it's a process present." Sirius sat back quietly as she turned and began rummaging through the box. A moment later she whipped back around smiling and holding something behind her back. "First of all I figured you would be hungry so I got you these." A box of Auntie Hammond's amazing pumpkin pasties emerged and he yelled in delight snatching the box from her hand and tearing it open.

"God I love your Aunt's pastries." He stuffed one in his mouth, letting his eyes roll back into his head and leaning his head against the plump cushions. After giving him a few minutes to bask in baked goods heaven she spoke once again regaining his attention.

"Second of all, you better pay attention because you're going to really appreciate this one." He sat up again setting the box of treats on the coffee table. She pulled out a picture and handed it to him. He nearly dropped it when he took a closer look. It was a fully signed photograph of this year's team of the Chudley Cannons.

"MERLIN'S SPATULA! How did you get this?" He said examining the players who were fiddling with their brooms. "She leaned over pointing to a tall, dark haired boy in the back.

"He is a really big fan." Sirius's stomach turned and he inwardly grimaced as she said the words. It seemed that everyone was a very big fan of the new Eboni. He couldn't say that he despised the change. Far from it, in fact he liked it a little too much, and that his protectiveness was anything but brotherly. It was the fact that none of these people knew the old Eboni first.

"Eboni this is amazing thank you so much." He moved to hug her, but she stared at him.

"That is hardly it Sirius." He lifted his eyebrow questionably when she gave his arm a quick tug and drew him up to full height. There they stood standing in front of each other; Eboni had one hand behind her back a small smile doing incredible things for her mouth as she revealed a small velvet box.

"What is this?" He asked but was cut short when he opened the box to see for himself.

"Well you know in 1932 when the Chudley Cannons were in for the cup and they had that amazing seeker, they were down so far that every one expected them to lose. Then the seeker did an amazing move, known now as the Wronski Feint and disabled the other teams only seeker for the rest of the game. Rallying his team to which they ended up winning the cup by only ten points." He nodded disbelievingly, but the ring didn't lie. The Chudley cannon Emblem was emblazoned in the center with the year through it. And on the top a single last name Wronski. "Well if you haven't figured it out by now I got the bloody fellows championship ring for you."

"How…When…Who…" But he trailed off staring at the precious piece of wizarding history that was now in his hands, it belonged to him. He slipped the ring from its hold letting the box fall to the floor, and examining it. Through the dim light of the candles he could see the player's name engraved on the inside and a hot burning grew behind his eyes. "This is amazing" he said before slipping it on his finger and enveloping her in a huge hug. He held her that way for a long time before she pushed him away enough to see his face.

"Are you sure you're okay?" She said putting her hands on the side of his face. "I bet you definitely love me more than bunnies right now." He nodded once again looking at the ring. Finally he spoke, a choked laugh emitting from his throat.

"Wait till I show James he is going to lose his mind!"

"Show me what?"

* * *

James watched as Sirius's hands dropped from around Eboni's waist and they drew away from each other. James quirked his eyebrow to Lily who was smiling at their two friends.

"Be prepared to bask in my greatness" he said before lunging over the coach and running over to James showing him the ring. James took it from him laughing but upon examining it his face dropped. Lily looked around concerned but Eboni just gave her an eye roll which clearly said not to question it moving over to where they all stood.

"Oh my Fucking Word where did you get this?" He said to Sirius who had a huge grin stretched across his face.

"That is Eboni's birthday present to me." He said matter-o-factly and putting an arm over her shoulder. James looked at her in awe.

"Please tell me my Birthday present is going to be close to this amazing." She laughed again shrugging Sirius's arm off of her.

"I promise it's just as good." James smiled but moments later his brow furrowed. "Wait you have it already." She smiled again before turning towards the oblivious Lily.

"I don't get it." She said as Eboni grabbed her hand dragging her to her room leaving the two boys to talk excitedly over Sirius's present.

"Don't worry about it." She stopped as the portrait hole opened and Evan and Remus scrambled in. "Evan let's go." She gave Remus a hug goodbye before following the other two into Lily's Room.

"Eboni." Sirius said before she closed the door. She opened it a crack peering at the three boys. "I love you more than bunnies." The last thing they saw was her smile before she closed the door.

* * *

"So E.B. you looked extraordinarily cozy with Sirius when I walked in." Lily said as they conjured up separate beds and popcorn. She rolled her eyes as her bed appeared and she sat herself on it.

"Is there something I missed?" Evan asked from the pile of movies on the floor, she had now taken to going through them deciding which one they should watch first.

"Oh just Eboni and Sirius in each other's arms in my common room." Evan whipped around her mouth open.

"No way." She squealed and Eboni looked between the two.

"Considering the fact that I got Sirius the only known championship ring from the Brett Wronski. I would hug me too." She said but Lily didn't seem satisfied by her answer.

"You didn't kiss again did you?" She asked evilly.

"No!" She denied, though she knew it would be pointless not to give them what they wanted. "Almost." Lily laughed plopping down on her own bed with a fresh bowl of popcorn. "He was trying to convince me to give him his birthday presents early and he was tickling me and then we just stopped and stared. And then he leaned in and I leaned out. Hey but enough about me! EVAN AND REMUS!" She said pointing at Evan who was now smiling from the floor.

"Yeah what is going on there? Are you guys a couple? FINALLY" Lily asked scooting towards the edge.

"Yeah." She admitted her face flushing fully. "Lily I didn't mean for it…" but Lily silenced her with a wave of her hand.

"Please you don't have to start. Really don't care. Has he kissed you yet?" She said leaning in.

"No. I asked him to take it slow. He is been really sweet so far." Lily laughed again stuffing some popcorny goodness into her mouth.

"So when's the wedding?" Eboni asked expectantly. They all laughed before directing their attention to the stack of VHS in front of them.

"Ok so we have scary movies, comedies, or romance." Evan offered from the floor.

"I've got enough romance to deal with without watching fictional so I vote just comedy and horror." They nodded in agreement and started the marathon.

* * *

"So are you going to marry her?" James asked Sirius suddenly making Sirius blink and rethink the question. "It's like a rule isn't it she bought you a Wronski ring you owe her the rest of your life." He laughed as he looked at the velvet box now sitting securely on James's night table.

"I agree man, she either had to sell her soul, her house, or her body for that ring so you probably should just marry her." Remus chimed in from atop his bed.

"First off she's Eboni I'm not going to marry her. Second off I don't want to think of her selling herself. Though one of you already know what that's like, I am making it my personal mission to find out who shagged her by the way." He said pointing his finger at the two.

"Well you had no problem snogging her did you?" Remus countered throwing a ball in the air a sappy smile plastered on his face. Sirius's face fell as the words reverberated around the room. He hadn't told James about the train ride yet and he was pretty certain he wouldn't be okay finding out like this. He threw a shoe at Remus hitting him directly in the leg ("OW"). James had gotten up his face contorted with bewilderment as he stared at Sirius.

"WHOOOOAAAA you yell at me for kissing Lily when you snogged E.B.? And wait how the hell does Remus know before I do?" Sirius sighed as Remus slapped his hand over his eyes and James shot poignant looks between the two boys.

"Good Going Remus." Sirius muttered darkly as he stood to calm James down. James had already passed the point of calming and set a pace the entire length of his room and back, mumbling incoherently.

"Are you going to tell E.B. that I told…I thought that you would at least tell James so I didn't think that saying anything would be bad. Wait you kissed Lily?" He said pointing at James who also stopped. The number one Marauder rule was never go behind another's back. And kissing Lily while she was dating Remus wasn't doing just that he didn't know what was.

They all stood there for several moments in extraordinarily awkward silence. Before Sirius had the chance to launch into his lengthy explanation, blood curdling screams pierced the air. They all froze as realization dawned on them; they were coming from the girl's rooms.

* * *

_I hate this movie, I hate this movie I hate this movie._ Eboni cringed as the Chainsaw murderer took off yet another head. She buried herself deeper into her pillows gripping the bowl of popcorn even tighter. The girl was now running up the stairs, with some difficulty because she had a cut in her left leg. The girls screamed as the masked man grabbed her by the back of the head and threw her forcefully towards the ground. He was just about to saw into her leg, when the door burst open revealing three boys wielding wands.

"What the hell!" Lily cried almost knocking her bowl on the floor. Their hands quickly dropped to their sides as they realized that there was no danger.

"We thought you might be in trouble." James said defensively.

"Hey you guys have popcorn!" Sirius said as he crossed the room to where Eboni sat. He grabbed the bowl which she held onto defensively.

"No way! It might technically be your birthday but this is Kettle Korn and you can shove it for all I care." She placed her foot on his thigh shoving him away and securing the sacred bowl in her grasp.

"But I want some!" He whined making a move to grab the bowl again.

"I said NO!" She said moving off the bed and crossing behind Evans. He held up his hands in plea but she just shook her head decisively and ate another mouthful. His gaze flicked to the television Lily had conjured and he jumped. "What are you watching?"

"Scary Movies compliments of Lily." Evan answered smiling at Remus. James walked to the screen carefully before prodding it with his wand.

"Lily you actually watch this kind of stuff." He said amazed.

"Well not all the time but on occasion." She said huffily swatting away Sirius's hand from her bowl. "You can't have mine either." He whined again stocking over to the door like a child.

"Fine lets go, Moony, Prongs." Sirius motioned towards the door but the others just looked at him stupidly.

"Actually since were already in here…" Remus said before walking over to Evan's bed and planting himself next to her with a smile.

"Oh you've got to be joking!" Sirius said raking a hand through his jet black locks. "Prongs?" But James was now besotted with the television planting himself down cross-legged and staring in awe. He threw his hands up in defeat before heading through the door alone.

"Fine you big baby I'll share." Eboni said moving back over to her bed.

"Capital idea Remus, we should join them." In true six year old style he ran over jumping onto Eboni's bed and ripping the bowl from her hands.

"It means that I get some too! Now set the bowl in the middle of the bed and don't touch it again." He relented unwillingly, and the two spent the next ten minutes or so munching on popcorn while eyeing each other suspiciously.

"James get away from the screen your way to close you're going to ruin your eyesight." She shook her head at the paradox of telling a man with glasses that his eyesight would get ruined before she moved to pull him away which took a lot of effort since his brain seemed to stop functioning. He planted himself on her bed still staring in awe. "Do you want some popcorn?" His blinked finally checking into the conversation before propping himself against the back her headboard and taking some from her bowl. A whisper of a smile and a muttered "Boys" was enough to turn her attention back to the movie.

Time dragged on and after they finished the scary films Eboni put in a comedy. They all laughed merrily Sirius most of all after finishing his fourth bowl of popcorn. In the middle of the second comedy Eboni pointed to Evan and Remus who had fallen asleep in each other's arms.

"Awww…aren't they adorable!" She said to which Lily laughed quietly.

"You're talking about them like there a pair of new born puppies at the street fair." James laughed too before magically refilling there bowl and beginning to eat again. The movie ended and Lily changed it to the last of the films. She yawned as she slid under the covers throwing the other end over James's legs. Eboni watched as she curled into a ball pressing against his side. James watched as she drifted off to sleep, tenderly stroking the hair away from her face. He then, careful not to wake her, wiggled his way under the rest of the cover's and fell asleep, his body positioned as close to hers without touching.

"Can you believe that we are the last two standing!" Eboni whispered to Sirius who held back a laugh as the man on the screen fell.

"Weaklings," he said flicking his hand in their direction. "There are still young Padawans they have not yet learned to yield the awesome power of the force like you and I."

"God we are never watching those movies again!" She said hitting him with her pillow.

"Why not? I happen to like those movies, it's funny because muggles don't even know that the force is exactly like magic, they don't think it exists." He grabbed the pillow from her and shoved her hard with it making the popcorn spill to the floor with a loud thunk.

"How dare you!" She seethed as she looked at the remnants of her delicious salty sweet snack. She grabbed her wand creating silencing charms and protection charms around the other's beds. "This is war.' She said before transfiguring everything she set eyes upon into pillows and throwing them at him. One burst apart sending feathers everywhere and she ducked from a particularly nasty pillow shaped like a banana. They laughed as he chased her around the bed dodging pillows while trying to throw them. He rounded a corner and she pivoted to run the other direction but slipped on the cursed banana pillow sending her flying in his arms.

He laughed wickedly before throwing her on the bed. "Now you shall never escape me!" He said before hitting her repeatedly with a pillow. She shrieked until finally she went still hoping just to endure the torture and have it be over with. When her body collapsed Sirius stopped throwing the pillow aside and leaning over her. "E.B Are you okay?"

"No I'm dead, what do you think?" She said propping herself on her elbows her hair irreparably tousled and several feathers stuck into it. He picked them out carefully and she smiled.

"I can't believe you spilled the popcorn." She said, but stopped short as his hand trailed down the side of her neck. "Sirius—" She warned. But he shook his head moving to position himself over her. "Sirius we already talked about this, it's a bad idea remember?"

"Actually we didn't talk about this, we talked about how bad the first kiss was and how it should never happen again, but the whole not kissing again thing doesn't make sense to me anymore." He said shifting his weight to her side and wrapping an arm around her waist, pulling her too him. "I keep thinking about it, and how much I want to do it again. So yes we sort of talked about the main thing but we didn't even come close to actually talking about it."

"Sirius that doesn't make any sense." She said her voice shaking a little as his hand drew tiny circles on the sensitive skin on her back.

"I know, I don't understand it at all, I don't know why I want to kiss you and touch you all of the time. I don't know why I think about doing things that I shouldn't and then having to stop myself from doing them. I don't know why I am jealous at every boy that you even look out, Fredric, the boy in the picture, and I even look at James and Remus and want to strangle them." Her brow furrowed.

"Why James and Remus?" she asked.

"Because of what you told me, because you chose one of them. Beyond anything else I wish that you would have come to me, would have asked me to be with you. I don't want to think about them touching you or any one touching you for that matter, yet I can't stop myself from thinking about touching you. And I know this is difficult because we've never had a problem with this before because we are friends. I don't want a relationship right now! I know I don't, but I desperately want you." He said moving his hand over her hip and sliding his thumb back and forth. Her lips parted as his thumb tortured her and she groaned as he moved an inch higher.

"You were gone, Sirius and I wanted to ask you, but you were in Ireland. Even then I didn't know if you'd agree to take my virginity." She looked up at him and saw his captivating eyes flash. "But I do understand what you mean since you came home things have been different, it isn't only you who has had to keep themselves in check. Something about you even looking at me, or touching me." He skimmed her shirt higher and she arched against his hand. "Makes me want to do something stupid. I don't want to ruin our friendship, but I want more...more" The last was s demand more than an emphasis and she bit her lip and closed her eyes as his hand moved over the velvet skin of her back.

"Maybe we can come to a physical agreement." He whispered unhooking the clasp of her bra with one hand. She pushed herself against him nodding and capturing his lips with hers. The world spun away once more and there was only the two of them there together. He discarded her shirt running his hands over her body and causing them to break contact. "Are you sure you want this?" He whispered to which she ran her hands down his taunt muscled to the edge of his pants hooking a finger in the waistband.

"If you stop I'll kill you" She answered and he kissed her again, spinning the two over the brink into oblivion.

* * *

**A/N: Awwww yeah I know they had to do it, but hey. My story. Aren't Evan and Remus absolutely adorable. I think so. Did you note my Star Wars reference it's not like it is my first one but this one was crazy obvious God I love Star Wars. Reviews? Happiness for my quick updates? General Love? **


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: The Lovers are Discovered **

**A/N: Let's not get me wrong I love Sirius Black, Like a lot! But since starting these stories I find myself wanting to expand my horizons, since then I have also found myself in love with James Potter and Draco Malfoy. Which is bad because I love Sirius. Yet we all shall rejoice because none of them are real. I was debating at whether to have them discovered later but I just found this chapter highly amusing and thought that that I couldn't break it up.**

* * *

Eboni and Sirius had the presence of mind to dress and remove the charms before waking the others and cleaning the rest of the room. Before Eboni could wake the other's Sirius chased her around trying to get just one more kiss. She eventually gave in when he started pouting but there innocent kiss somehow had ended up on the floor.

"Would you get off, they might wake up." She said to the form of Sirius on top of her. They had been that way for a good five minutes and she knew the severity of the situation if anyone were to get up and see what they were doing. She wouldn't be chastised or anything but she would never hear the end of it.

"I don't care." He said pressing his lips against hers again. She smiled before nudging him between the legs making him shriek with pain and finally roll off to the side. She let him recover before removing the charms and walking to open the black drapes.

"Yes you do and you promised not to tell anyone." The others stirred at the sound of voices and Remus and Evan were the first to open their eyes. He lifted himself onto his shoulder and rubbed the sand out of his eyes before turning over and smiling at Evan who wrapped her arms around his neck. They watched as his eyes lowered and he moved in, but if Sirius couldn't have any, neither could Remus.

"Cough…cough, cough, cough, cough." Sirius faked to which the both looked up at his form standing at the edge of her bed.

"How many times have I told you Sirius it doesn't work if you actually say the word cough." Remus said throwing a pillow at Sirius and settling himself back on the bed with Evan against him. Finally having enough affection that wasn't directed towards him he gave a quick warning before diving towards the two making them scatter from the cover lest they be smashed by Sirius's falling body.

"See I told you I could wake them up. Unlike the sleeping dead." He motioned towards James and Lily who were still sleeping soundly. James lay flat on his back with Lily nestled into the crook of his neck and his arms wrapped around her possessively. "Well the plan isn't working out is it."

"I daresay it is going horribly." Remus concurred from his right.

"Would that be James's plan to give Lily up?" Eboni offered making both her and Evan's bed disappear. Sirius and Remus turned to her in horror.

"How the hell do you know about that?" Sirius and Remus both asked together.

She smiled again, "Well unfortunate for you and James…" She pointed to the two "…the girl is smarter than your average bear… she kind of put two and two together."

Remus sighed, 'Well that probably didn't sit well with her now that she…" She looked over to Sirius and Evan who were hanging on to his every word.

"She what?! Would somebody tell me what the bloody hell is going on!"

Eboni laughed quietly before putting her hand on Sirius's shoulder. "We can't tell you because you'll tell James, and James isn't to know."

"I hate you sometimes." Before turning and following Remus to the door.

"You guys leave I have this handled." Eboni said before shooing the three out in to the common room. She leaned in close to Lily and whispered. "If you don't wake up Lily I will make James throw you in the lake, and both of you will be naked." Her friend groaned and shifted, making James hand come up to rub his eyes. She tiptoed out of the room as the others waited patiently. Sometimes she underestimated her own genius. Getting people together should at least qualify for order of Merlin third class.

"Where are they?" Sirius asked, eying Eboni as she walked toward him. She smiled broadly and addressed Remus and Evan.

"They were up late they'll be down soon."

* * *

Her eyes opened to find herself being cradled by James who was still asleep. She carefully lifted herself leaning slightly over him as he continued to slumber. She didn't remember much after the last movie had started, but she assumed that he had put the popcorn on the nighttable and moved her against him. She smiled again as the sun reached his face making his brow furrow and roll closer to Lily. He arms tightened around her as he continued to sleep, his forehead tucked under her shoulder.

She leaned down next to his ear, "James, it's time to wake up." She said as she traced the line from his neck to his shoulder with her hand. She memorized every inch of him, he was so beautiful and right now he was completely hers. His eyes opened slowly as he took a look at Lily above him. She smiled into his Hazel eyes which made him give her a lopsided grin. She pushed the covers back but he shook his head with finality pulling her back down and binding her against him. It took a great deal of strength to repress the sigh of delight that almost escaped her. It seemed she took too much pleasure in being in James's arms, and the worst part is that he had a girlfriend. Her heart dropped at the sudden dose of reality and a cool reminder that things shouldn't get rash. "James really the others have already gone." She ran her hands through his hair and his eyes opened again, so that they were face to face on her pillow his hair sticking up at every possible angle. _How could I ever possibly made fun of his hair_.

He smiled at her and yawned . "You look awful."

She laughed and stretched out her body arching like a very large cat. "Well that makes two of us." She said before tossing the covers back once more and climbing out of bed.

"Can't we just sleep all day?" He whined but she gave him a reproachful look as she zipped up her sweater.

"Are you coming?" She said making his body slowly roll over and off of the bed grumbling. "You'll thank me for waking you up someday." As they made their way down to breakfast.

"I don't think I'll ever thank you for making me get out of bed, ever."

* * *

Why are you sitting next to E.B.?" James asked as they made their way down to breakfast. Sirius had sat next to James for the last four years without fail and he was about to launch in to a spiel about him being way more loyal when he noticed who occupied Sirius's normal spot.

"James! What took you so long? I've been here for ages waiting for you." He groaned at the figure of Felicity looking bright and chipper as ever. He couldn't take her constant happiness, it just was not normal.

"Well in that case can I sit next to E.B. too" Lily muttered and James held back a snort of laughter. She silently pleaded to Remus who grabbed Evan quickly and shook his head fervently. No one wanted to give up their seats at the other side of the table, so Lily crossed over taking the seat furthest away from Felicity. Her name fit her too well, she was way too happy for her own good and she was amazed that James could stand it. James followed reluctantly sitting down and waiting as Felicity chatted on about the latest gossip.

"I hear that Lucius Malfoy is getting married to Narcissa Black isn't that romantic." She said enviously. Sirius snorted from across the table and Felicity looked at him bewildered. James unfortunately had to offer the explanation seeing as to the others refused to talk to her.

"They had an arranged marriage so it really isn't romantic. Plus I doubt that Malfoy could have a romantic bone in his body." The others nodded approvingly to his statement but she didn't stop there.

"How do you know that?" Sirius held back his laughter before finally speaking.

"Unfortunately Narcissa is my cousin, and since it's her duty to uphold the family tradition. She is marrying Malfoy, she didn't always used to be the stuffy bitch over there." He waved his fork toward the Slytherin table. "In fact James here would be able to give you…" James kicked Sirius hard and he gave a loud yelp like a wounded dog. He then glared at him for a menacingly amount of time before returning to his food. Lily's interest was immediately peaked what would James be able to tell them about Narcissa, what experience with her did he have?

"Still their families are very rich and no doubt they're wedding will be extravagant." Sirius snorted again apparently amused that this conversation was still taking place. "But don't worry James; our wedding will by far outshine theirs." James mouth dropped open in absolute horror and Lily had spit out the pumpkin juice that she had been drinking. The horror that spread across Lily's face mirrored that on James. Though James's face clearly said, help me and hers was complete and utter surprise. Sirius was now biting his finger trying to sustain his laughter and Eboni was looking at Felicity with a quirk to her mouth.

"Being a Potter woman is very very difficult work, Are you sure you're up to it?" James jerked his gaze to E.B. but he did not like one bit of the mischievousness that lay beneath.

"What do you mean?" Felicity sounded immensely worried and James sat back unable to hear it.

"Well for one thing Potter women do not answer the door, they do not wear slacks or sneakers, they do not were extravagant colors, they have to appear at every meal even if she is dining alone, she has to apply makeup every day no exceptions, she has to organize and oversee all fifteen of the yearly balls, all plans must be validated through her. She has to be well poised graceful, and of pure blood. Your wedding dress must be black of course and you have to be married at night. Between seven o'clock and nine, but most people gravitate towards seven so that the older relatives can make an appearance, but if you are feeling particularly edgy you can have the ceremony set for nine but you'll raise more than a few eyebrows. You have to be an amazing dancer James is, of course, as am I and Sirius, we had the same teacher growing up. You have to have to be able to draw, nothing to elaborate but have to be able to form cohesive ideas on paper. Singing, the modern arts, and Languages. You need an effortless poise and grace as well as being intelligent and inviting. But most of all you have to be forbidding, every single person you speak to needs to know who you are and what your station is above them. Can you do all that?" James stared at Eboni in wonder and gratitude, some of it was true their family had fifteen balls a year and his mother planned everyone yet the other things weren't from his family and she knew well that they were not, she had been trained since birth to be a pure blood wife and she gave up everything she had been told she wanted, for friendship at the age of eleven.

"That doesn't seem like that much." Felicity said stupidly making Lily laugh. Sirius was looking at Eboni very thoughtfully, and by the look furrowing his friends brow James knew what he was thinking. Rather what James had been not a moment ago. There had always been an outstanding agreement with pure-blood families. Sirius had been betrothed to Eboni at birth, but by showing his defiance to the dark arts his parents revoked the agreement giving it instead, to Regulus. Neither parents would have thought that the many years they were forced to be together would create the best of friends and when she refused to leave his side, she was cast out and she was taken in by her half-blood aunt. She had given up everything for Sirius and he had done everything in his power since then to ensure that she was safe. Now that Eboni and Sirius had a, well-whatever-they-had things were different. Especially since Eboni rightfully belonged to Sirius's brother.

"Well if you and James are really serious." Eboni said but James shook his head pleading her to continue. "…If you are really serious then you should know. I have been trained since the day I was born to be the perfect trophy." Sirius winced but the humor in his disposition did not die. "A piece in a man's collection, by Mrs. Potter herself even. You have to admit you have no chance competing with me, since James and I are betrothed." Sirius coughed loudly, but Eboni did not stop her assault. Instead her voice rose and she looked as though she was about to kill Felicity. That girl was one hell of actress. "We have been since the day we were born and nothing you can say will change that. And when the day comes that we marry you won't be in the picture. And yes, our wedding will outshine theirs." She threw her fork on the table with rage and glared at Felicity. James barely got to mouth 'Thank you' behind Felicity's horror stuck face before she stocked out of the Great hall leavinga teary eyed Felicity in her wake.

James looked to Lily, Sirius, Remus, and Evan who all fought desperately to hold back their fits of laughter. Thank god they all knew the truth behind Eboni's little show because it could have been messy had they not. James then gave a small thanks to Eboni's amazing ability at improvisation, at least now he wouldn't have to plan his wedding any time soon.

"Is all that true James?" Felicity asked her teary eyes looking to his for affirmation. He gave a curt nod as if to agree but did not address the topic again.

The food didn't disappear soon enough and finally Lily and James trotted up the stairs towards the heads dormitories.

"I can't take much more of that bloody woman. Marriage, honestly" He said as the portrait hole opened and Lily went inside.

"But I thought you liked her?" She said playing the concerned party. He laughed at this as he handed Lily her Ancient Runes book.

"Please she is good for a snog when you need one. But what woman isn't. We've been dating what a week?" Lily didn't laugh as they made their way back out of the room to their first class. In fact when he turned around she had stopped and was staring at him intently. He retraced his thoughts to what he had just said. "God Lily I didn't mean…" he stopped but she made no move for him to stop or continue. "It's different with you. It's always different with you." She laughed coldly.

"You're probably just saying that for another opportunity for a good snog." She walked past him, moving in to the room and slamming her books on the table. He sighed inwardly; things always had to get worse didn't they?

* * *

"What's wrong with you?" Eboni asked at Lily's flaming face. But a figure emerged from behind her and Lily swung around madly, but not to find the person she expected. In fact she was quite surprised to find the heart-melting smile of Amos Diggory instead of that cheeky bastard James Potter.

"Amos! I'm so sorry you scared me." She said forcing a smile to appear. She didn't think that she was capable of acting all sweet and flirtatious at the moment but she would try her best. He smiled at her before placing his hand on the desk behind her. She looked down appalled at the gesture and normally she would slap his hand and send him away. But right now wasn't normal circumstances, in fact in a few moments time James would walk in the room, and he would be furious. Revenge would be sweet. If he was going to mock their kiss then she'll kiss someone else, she smiled and leaned in a little closer. "But I didn't say I didn't like it." His eyebrows rose at her flirtatious gesture and he immediately responded leaning forward so she was entrapped between his arms and only inches separated them.

"My apologies but if you I knew that I would be this welcomed I would have done it months ago. I was wondering if you would like to go with me to Hogsmeade?" She watched out of the very corner of her eye as James and Sirius entered stopping short as he saw Lily talking with Amos. Her hearted fluttered as his gaze flew between Amos's hand on her hip and her smiling up at him, now maybe he would understand what it's like to be insanely jealous.

"Sure I would love to go with you to Hogsmeade." She replied loudly and moments later a loud banging noise come from the door. She turned to find James had dropped his books and was now staring at the two. She lifted her eyebrow questionably before turning back to E.B. "Absolutely nothing it's a wonderful day isn't it." She heard a scuffling from where James had stood and she assumed that he was now picking up his fallen books. Professor Flitwick entered after they had all found their seats and they started the lesson on summoning charms. Later they paired off to practice and Lily and Eboni found a corner but hardly intended on practicing.

"What's up with you? When have you been attracted to Amos?"

Lily waved the question away before leaning in. "Where did Sirius sleep last night?" She asked as the realization dawned on her. Eboni broke her charm and the book that was coming towards her dropped to the ground causing a group to the right to stare at the two.

"ummm…well…you know the floor." But Lily was hardly convinced. She scooted her chair closer.

"What happened?" Eboni picked up the book and opened it flicking her eyes over to Sirius. Lily followed her gaze and when she saw that he was staring back she broke out in a full-fledged grin. James turned, his eyes flicking between E.B to Sirius ending at the latter who grinned even broader. Finally his eyes met Lily's and for a moment, her heart stopped beating. She could see the impact of what she had done, but there were other things that needed to be addressed and she turned to Eboni again intent on putting James out of her min. "What did you two do?" She whispered to which E.B. shushed her lowering her hands up and down as emphasis.

"We promised not to tell." Eboni said trying to avoid Sirius's stare. That was the entirety of her explanation and Lily pushed for more.

"Did you…do it?" to which Eboni's face flushed and she broke eye contact staring at the book. "Oh my god."

* * *

"You have to swear not to tell anybody please, it was just once okay so don't make a big deal out of it." Her eyes found Sirius's again and he smiled causing her heart to leap and her face to flush even deeper. She shouldn't be so embarrassed; it wasn't like she hadn't done it before. But the way he kept looking at her, it made her feel…completely…naked.

"Eboni I was in the room!" She shrugged and smiled making her friend's face drop further.

"It's not like we planned it happening. Lighten up unless you want me to tell Felicity that you and James slept in each other's arms." Eboni watched James whip around and glare at her; well she might have said that a little too loud. She mouthed 'I'm sorry' before he turned again and Lily moved to speak. It didn't matter though, she saved his ass earlier and he had to forgive her.

"Ladies get back to work." Came Flitwick's voice from the front of the room. But before they began Lily leaned over.

"You have to tell me later."

* * *

James had just gone over the events of the past half hour in his mind. First off was his situation with Lily were he absent mindedly called her just a good snog and then walked in on her accepting a date from the biggest player in school. And not only just accepting a date. Oh no, he was practically having his way with her in the classroom.

But was he Jealous?

No.

Yes, dammit, yes!

He was more than just jealous, he was furious. If he didn't have enough problems with Amos Diggory because of Quidditch now he had to worry about what he was doing with Lily. An image of Lily underneath Amos flashed in his mind and rage boiled up further. If anyone where to be on top of Lily it would be him, not Amos Diggory because he didn't deserve her. Yet neither do I. He could hardly concentrate on the lesson from sneaking glances at the two girls in the corner. But at least he wasn't the only one, the thing that was really bothering him was the way that Sirius and Eboni kept looking at each other. He watched as his friend smiled again and he put down his wand in exasperation. "Seriously what is going on?" Sirius just shrugged innocently and continued to pay attention to their work. "Fine not going to tell me, then I'll figure it out by myself." He stared between the two for a minute watching their covert glances and the way Eboni's hand reached to her neck every once in a while. She flushed several times for no apparent reason; he noted that it was for no reason mainly because no one was talking to her. Something happened and James was already out of the loop at Sirius and his 'best friends' relationship. He stared for a while longer until finally she made a mistake. She flipped her hair over her shoulder exposing her neck and his wand clattered to the table in disbelief. She had a hickey, a hickey! Sirius was a very careful man if she had a hickey on her neck things got carried away. In fact a hickey was a right Sirius only bestowed on a women during…

"Oh my god you had her didn't you?" Eboni looked over in horror and Sirius clamped him hand over James's mouth.

"Would you keep your mouth shut?" He said rudely before flashing a look to Eboni who was frozen stiff with mortification. She eyed him with fury and he held up his hand in innocence. She turned to the corner crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright yes, would you just shut up about it?" James was crossed between anger, amusement, and confusion. Not only because of Lily and Amos, but because of Lily and Remus, and Sirius. His best friend couldn't tell him anything anymore.

"Last night. You did it last night. This is priceless Sirius first snogging her and not telling me and then fucking her too. I thought she was your friend?" James immediately knew he crossed the line, his face set with anger and Sirius grabbed his wrist hard and leaned in close.

"Look I'm sorry I didn't tell you about before. The only reason Remus knows is because we were arguing about it in the carriage on the way up to school after it happened. You know I would never tell Remus first, I was going to tell you I really just forgot every time I had the chance because I was talking to you about your problem with her." He pointed to Lily's back. "So yes I …" He looked over at E.B. again. "…had her but would you please not shout that shit out in the middle of class. I'll talk to you about it later tonight." He let go of James's wrist and leaned back in his chair. But James couldn't stop smiling, he could never stay mad at Sirius. He then clasped the hand that had been previously holding his wand to his mouth to hold back his smirk. "What?!"

"I can't believe it." He said before turning back to the lesson. "My little Sirius is finally a man."

* * *

"Lily." Came James's voice from behind her. She really didn't want to talk to him right now but seeing as they were 'friends' she supposed that it was for the best. He was most likely furious with her and he had every right. Well he did call her just a good snog but something in the pit of her stomach knew that it he didn't mean it. Well if one good thing came out of this she knew he wasn't completely immune to her, and that was something she could build off of. She turned slowly to find him directly behind her.

"Yes James." She said keeping her eyes fixed at something just beyond his left shoulder. She didn't want him to realize that she was so upset. Somehow showing her true feelings to someone who refused to acknowledge them didn't seem right. If she was being honest with herself, she was also frightened by the pain that she was able to inflict on him, she didn't want to hurt him, but it seemed that it happened inevitably.

"I'm worried about you." He said simply which stoked her temper even more. She bit out a short laugh. He was worried about her, please.

"How so?" She asked bitterly.

"You know Amos's reputation as well as I do. Do you know what he has planned for your weekend in Hogsmeade." She tried to force back the guilt that was washing through her. He was always so concerned for her, but she didn't want concern, she wanted jealousy, passion, she wanted his emotions.

"Yes I know Amos's reputation it is quite close to yours and Sirius's and I would be lying if I said I wasn't expecting a good snog. But you know what else are men for." She said watching as his face hardened. He looked away watching as the students passed by giving them next to no notice. He took a step closer making her hit her back against the wall. He stuck his hand up next to her head and stared at her, jaw set. He had the upper hand, and he knew it.

"Look I know what I said earlier was pig-headed Lily but all this time getting to know me you should realize that I would never say something like that regarding to you." She rolled her eyes and he continued. "Really you're not the regular woman, you're different you always have been. You don't ramble on about things I don't want to hear about! You're smart and funny and that's what I like about you! I'm sorry I really am." She stared at his hand resting next to her head and he moved it slowly bringing her eyes to meet his.

"You always say you're sorry James, after every prank, every harsh word, every hurtful act. It's really starting to get old and personally I don't believe you anymore."  
His voice dropped as he stood before her. She knew that the words hurt him but it was the truth.

"I guess I deserved that. It's true that I haven't been the nicest person to you. But you were the only one that made me so furious that I wanted to kill you, but I was fascinated at the same time I was scared to death of not talking to you, it became like a necessity. Making you mad is always so…" She waited for his words. "…intriguing. You know right when you get mad your mouth screws up really tight. And you do that thing with you eyebrow and somehow I know exactly what you're saying though you haven't said a word." She felt her heart melt, she wanted him to kiss her and she wanted him to crush her against the wall. She wanted him to break up with Felicity and be hers. She opened her mouth to confess the truth. She was falling in love with James Potter, but he continued, "When I spend time with Felicity. It's useless, I could have been doing so many other things that were worth more. But I have never thought that once when I was with you, even when we were fighting like cats and dogs I never thought that. Now that we are friends I been having an amazing time. You know how much I would rather spend time with you that with that simpering excuse for a person that calls herself my girlfriend. Lily I—" But he stopped instead lifting his chin and leaning in closer to her.

"James" She whispered as his breath hit the ridge of her ear. This was it, what she had been waiting for, she closed her eyes and let the feel of his mouth on her ear take over, the heat from his body seep into her, the touch of his hands melt onto her. He buried his face in her hair and she felt herself pull him closer until he had her flush against the wall. His lip came to her ear again, and this time he spoke.

"Lily, I…" She waited again trying to pour some strength into him, she needed to hear the words. She never needed anything more right then but to hear him speak. "I wanted to tell you that…I'm in lo—" An ice cold blow hit the back of his head sending him crashing to the floor. "What the hell!" He shouted as the figure of Peeves went cackling out of sight.

"You should know Pottie-head that there are no Public Displays of Affection in the corridors!" His head turned into a loud alarm making ear-splitting siren noises.

"We should go." She said helping him to his feet and covering her ears. He crinkled her nose as peeves began to sing 'Potter has a girlfriend' making her laugh and run down the hall to hide from the noise. They didn't speak again until they got into class and only then did they mutter apologies to the teacher for being late. Their conversation would have to wait. However much she felt like forcing James to the ground and making him tell her exactly what he was going to say in the hall.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews? **


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